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Enhanced inverse Compton scattering via spontaneous focusing induced by a coated plasma mirror
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DOI：10.1038/s41566-026-01958-4.png)
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Abstract
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Efficient generation of high-energy γ-rays from laser–electron interactions is crucial for advancing nuclear photonics and strong-field quantum electrodynamics. However, the energy-conversion efficiency of plasma-mirror-based all-optical inverse Compton scattering has been fundamentally constrained by the limited overlap between the reflected laser pulse and the wakefield-accelerated electron beam. Here we experimentally demonstrate a coated plasma mirror that spontaneously focuses the reflected pulse, which substantially enhances the local field intensity and strongly drives nonlinear multiphoton inverse Compton scattering. Experiments show that the coating improves the laser-to-radiation energy-conversion efficiency by nearly an order of magnitude compared with uncoated mirrors, at the level of 10−4–10−3, with photon energies extending from tens to hundreds of megaelectronvolts. This simple yet robust approach overcomes the intrinsic energy-utilization limit of plasma-mirror inverse Compton scattering and offers a scalable route towards compact, high-brightness, γ-ray sources for tabletop, strong-field quantum electrodynamics studies and nuclear photonics applications. It has been proposed that coated plasma mirrors could spontaneously form a focusing structure that strengthens the reflected laser intensity to enhance the efficiency of inverse Compton scattering. Now it is demonstrated that the efficiency can reach 10−3 with photon energies extending to hundreds of megaelectronvolts at a laser power of 400 TW.
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