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Abstract

The generation of collimated high-energy high brilliance γ-rays by a high-intensity laser pulse impacting a structured plasma target in the ultra-relativistic regime, is investigated with several 2D PIC-simulations using results of recent research. Comparing sweeps of incident power for two fixed focused intensities of normalised laser amplitudes a₀ = 190 and a₀ = 350, for a 40 fs laser pulse revealed that a maximum brilliance of 1.9 × 10¹⁹s ⁻¹mm⁻²mrad⁻² (0.1%BW) −1 for photon energies exceeding 100 MeV can be achieved at energy conversion efficiencies of up to 2.3%, generating copious amounts of multi-MeV photons driven by strong multi-MT quasi static magnetic plasma fields. In prospect of the construction of new laser facilities, which are expected to operate in radiation dominated regimes, the generation of such all-optical γ-rays offers opportunities for a broad spectrum of applications in many fields of research.