Conceptual Design Report for the LUXE Experiment

Understand

This Conceptual Design Report describes LUXE (Laser Und XFEL Experiment), an experimental campaign that aims to combine the high-quality and high-energy electron beam of the European XFEL with a powerful laser to explore the uncharted terrain of quantum electrodynamics characterised by both high energy and high intensity.

• We will reach this hitherto inaccessible regime of quantum physics by analysing high-energy electron-photon and photon-photon interactions in the extreme environment provided by an intense laser focus.
• The physics background and its relevance are presented in the science case which in turn leads to, and justifies, the ensuing plan for all aspects of the experiment: Our choice of experimental parameters allows (i) effective field strengths to be probed at and beyond the Schwinger limit and (ii) a precision to be achieved that permits a detailed comparison of the measured data with calculations.
• In addition, the high photon flux predicted will enable a sensitive search for new physics beyond the Standard Model.