Generation of High-Energy Photons with Large Orbital Angular Momentum by Compton Backscattering

Journal Article · Fri Jan 07 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.106.013001· OSTI ID:21532226

Jentschura, U D ^[1]; Serbo, V G ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri 65409 (United States)
2. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

Usually, photons are described by plane waves with a definite 4-momentum. In addition to plane-wave photons, ''twisted photons'' have recently entered the field of modern laser optics; these are coherent superpositions of plane waves with a defined projection ({h_bar}/2{pi})m of the orbital angular momentum onto the propagation axis, where m is an integer. In this Letter, we show that it is possible to produce high-energy twisted photons by Compton backscattering of twisted laser photons off ultrarelativistic electrons. Such photons may be of interest for experiments related to the excitation and disintegration of atoms and nuclei, and for studying the photoeffect and pair production off nuclei in previously unexplored experimental regimes.

• OSTI ID: 21532226
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 106; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ATOMS
BACKSCATTERING
BOSONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FERMIONS
INTERACTIONS
LASERS
LEPTONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
NUCLEI
ORBITAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM
PAIR PRODUCTION
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
PHOTONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SCATTERING
WAVE PROPAGATION