Zeptosecond-Yoctosecond Pulses Generated by Nonlinear Inverse Thomson Scattering: Modulation and Spatiotemporal Properties

Abstract

Ultrashort light pulses have strong research and application values, while nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering has been considered as a unique source of zepto-yoctosecond pulses. Here, the mechanism of nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering of a high-energy electron colliding with a tightly focused intense laser pulse is investigated through numerical simulation. The time-compression effect was proposed to explain the origin of ultrashort pulses and the nonlinear phenomenon of electron radiation in the time–space joint distribution. It is found that the time scale of electron radiation is orders of magnitude shorter than that of electron motion, and the increases in laser intensity and electron initial energy will result in stronger and shorter pulses. Yoctosecond pulses can be generated by a laser pulse with an intensity of 1.384×1020 W/cm2 and an electron with an initial energy of 51.1 MeV. These results provide theoretical and numerical basis for generating shorter light pulses.

Keywords

• zepto-yoctosecond pulse
• ultrafast optics
• nonlinear Thomson scattering
• strong-field physics