Nanophotonics for pair production

Valerio Di Giulio and F. Javier García de Abajo ()
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Valerio Di Giulio: The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
F. Javier García de Abajo: The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: 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 γ-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 from nanoscale regions at the intersection between particle physics and nanophotonics.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43701-5

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