Analytical results for non-linear Compton scattering in short intense laser pulses

Abstract

We study in detail the strong-field QED process of non-linear Compton scattering in short intense plane wave laser pulses of circular polarization. Our main focus is placed on how the spectrum of the back-scattered laser light depends on the shape and duration of the initial short intense pulse. Although this pulse shape dependence is very complicated and highly non-linear, and has never been addressed explicitly, our analysis reveals that all the dependence on the laser pulse shape is contained in a class of three-parameter master integrals. Here we present completely analytical expressions for the non-linear Compton spectrum in terms of these master integrals. Moreover, we analyse the universal behaviour of the shape of the spectrum for very high harmonic lines.