Abstract

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) predicts that electromagnetic fields interact with each other in vacuum. We study the possibility of revealing this interaction experimentally with intensities on the order of 1024–1026 W/cm2, which may be available in the next generation of laser systems. In particular, we investigate high-order harmonic generation in vacuum via the collision of two ultrastrong counterpropagating laser pulses. The experimental feasibility of the related process of stimulated light-by-light scattering is also examined. Finally, the importance of including diffractive effects to describe the nonlinear interaction between an x-ray probe and a strong, focused optical standing wave is pointed out.

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