Electron–positron pair generation using a single kJ-class laser pulse in a foam–reflector setup

Oliver Mathiak; Lars Reichwein; Alexander Pukhov

doi:10.1063/5.0317574

Volume 11 Issue 4

Jul. 2026

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Oliver Mathiak, Lars Reichwein, Alexander Pukhov. Electron–positron pair generation using a single kJ-class laser pulse in a foam–reflector setup[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(4): 047202. doi: 10.1063/5.0317574

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Oliver Mathiak, Lars Reichwein, Alexander Pukhov. Electron–positron pair generation using a single kJ-class laser pulse in a foam–reflector setup[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(4): 047202. doi: 10.1063/5.0317574

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Electron–positron pair generation using a single kJ-class laser pulse in a foam–reflector setup

doi: 10.1063/5.0317574

1.
Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
2.
Peter Grünberg Institut (PGI-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany

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Corresponding author: a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: oliver.mathiak@hhu.de
Received Date: 2025-12-18
Accepted Date: 2026-03-23

Available Online: 2026-07-24

Publish Date: 2026-07-24

Abstract

Abstract

We investigate the process of creating electron–positron pairs from laser–matter interaction in pre-ionized foam targets using particle-in-cell simulations. A high-intensity laser pulse drives electrons via direct laser acceleration up to a cone-shaped reflector. The high-energy electrons interact with the reflected laser pulse, generating abundant pairs. The effects of the plasma-channel shape on the propagation of the laser pulse and subsequent pair production are studied. The results show that the number of Compton emission and Breit–Wheeler pair creation events is highly sensitive to the diffraction of the laser due to its interaction with the foam.

Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Oliver Mathiak: Investigation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original draft (equal). Lars Reichwein: Investigation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Alexander Pukhov: Conceptualization (equal); Funding acquisition (equal); Supervision (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal).
Author Contributions
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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References(52)

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