Direct measurement of the elastic scattering of real photons on an electromagnetic field would allow the fundamental low-energy constants of quantum electrodynamics (QED) to be experimentally determined. We show that scenarios involving the collision of three laser beams have several advantages over conventional two-beam scenarios. The kinematics of a three-beam collision allows for a higher...
Since the initial prediction of the onset of selfsustained QED cascades upon injection of particles in certain electromagnetic field configurations [1], the pivotal theory questions remain the same: (i) What are the general conditions required to trigger such cascades? (ii) How many electron-positron pairs can be produced? (iii) What is the threshold of the phenomenon, particularly in the...
