Higgs-boson production at the photon-photon collider mode of a high-energy e+e- linear collider.

Abstract

We consider the production of the Higgs boson(s) of both the standard model and the minimal super-symmetric model via the collision of two polarized backscattered laser photons at an ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ linear collider. The anticipated photon-photon luminosity should be sufficient to allow detection of any one of these Higgs bosons over a significant range of Higgs boson masses. In particular, the Higgs boson mass reach in the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ collider mode may be somewhat larger than that of the corresponding ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ linear collider. Moreover, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}H$ will provide a measure of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}H$ coupling which arises at one loop, and therefore is potentially sensitive to all charged particles which gain mass through the Higgs mechanism.