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Quantum electrodynamic (QED) plasmas, describing the intricate interplay of strong-field QED and collective pair plasma effects, play pivotal roles in astrophysical settings like those near black holes or magnetars. However, the creation of observable QED plasmas in laboratory conditions was thought to require ultra-intense lasers beyond the capabilities of existing technologies, hindering experimental verification of QED plasma theories. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent studies outlining a viable approach to create and detect observable QED plasmas by combining existing electron beam facilities with state-of-the-art lasers. The collision between a high-density 30 GeV electron beam and a 3 PW laser initiates a QED cascade, resulting in a pair plasma with increasing density and decreasing energy. These conditions contribute to a higher plasma frequency, enabling the observation of ∼0.2% laser frequency upshift. This solution of the joint production-observation problem should facilitate the near-term construction of ultra-intense laser facilities both to access and to observe the realm of strong-field QED plasmas.
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Creating pair plasmas with observable collective effects
Abstract Although existing technology cannot yet directly produce fields at the Schwinger level, experimental facilities can already explore strong-field quantum electrodynamics (QED) phenomena by taking advantage of the Lorentz boost of energetic electron beams. Recent studies show that QED cascades can create electron–positron pairs at sufficiently high density to exhibit collective plasma effects. Signatures of collective pair plasma effects can appear in exquisite detail through plasma-induced frequency upshifts and chirps in the laser spectrum. Maximizing the magnitude of the QED plasma signature demands high pair density and low pair energy, which suits the configuration of colliding an over 10 18 J m − 3 energy-density electron beam with a 10 22 – 10 23 W c m − 2 intensity laser pulse. The collision creates pairs that have a large plasma frequency, made even larger as they slow down or reverse direction due to both the radiation reaction and laser pressure. This paper explains at a tutorial level the key properties of the QED cascades and laser frequency upshift, and at the same time finds the minimum parameters that can be used to produce observable QED plasma.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2206691
- PAR ID:
- 10420911
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
- Volume:
- 65
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0741-3335
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 034007
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/acb080
