Prospects of Relativistic Flying Mirrors for Ultra-High-Field Science

Abstract

Recent progress of high-peak-power lasers makes researchers envisage ultra-high-field science; however, the current or near future facilities will not be strong enough to reach the vacuum breakdown intensity, i.e., the Schwinger field. To address this difficulty, a relativistic flying mirror (RFM) technology is proposed to boost the focused intensity by double the Doppler effect of an incoming laser pulse. We review the principle, theoretical, and experimental progress of the RFM, as well as its prospects.

Keywords

• intense laser
• high-field science
• laser plasma
• laser wake wave
• QED critical field