Nanophotonics for pair production

Abstract

The transformation of electromagnetic energy into matter represents a fascinating prediction of relativistic quantum electrodynamics that is paradigmatically exemplified by the creation of electron-positron pairs out of light. However, this phenomenon has a very low probability, so positron sources rely instead on beta decay, which demands elaborate monochromatization and trapping schemes to achieve high-quality beams. Here, we propose to use intense, strongly confined optical near fields supported by a nanostructured material in combination with high-energy photons to create electron-positron pairs. Specifically, we show that the interaction between near-threshold gamma-rays and polaritons yields higher pair-production cross sections, largely exceeding those associated with free-space photons. Our work opens an unexplored avenue toward generating tunable pulsed positrons at the intersection between particle physics and nanophotonics.