Prospects for performing tests of quantum electrodynamics with high-intensity lasers

Abstract

Charged particles emit radiation in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields. Emission implies a recoil on the charge, altering its dynamics and is referred to as radiation reaction (RR). Current experiments are on the verge of probing the quantum regime of RR by usage of intense laser pulses colliding with high-energy electron beams. The framework for quantum RR is described by quantum electrodynamics (QED) and becomes nonperturbative in the strong-field limit (SFQED). Theoretical knowledge beyond it is limited but could potentially be detectable with upcoming laser facilities. Here, the presence of electron-positron cascades and low-energy emissions masks any signal emergent in such experiments. Hence, the appeal for strategies to extract signals of SFQED and/or the adoption of advanced statistical techniques. In this thesis, we develop strategies to retrieve information in laser-electron experiments. Firstly, we establish a selection rule based on the kinematic properties of electrons and their emissions to form a descriptive reading at the detector. Secondly, we explore the role of tight focusing of lasers to attain extreme regimes of interest of which we derive the optimal solution we call the bidipole wave. Finally, we propose an experimental framework capable of inferring parameters of models designated to capture SFQED effects using Bayesian techniques.