Researchers from the International Research Laboratory "Charged Particle Radiation" of the MEPhI, leading research in the field of photonics, have built a generalized theory of inverse Compton scattering in terms of luminosity, suitable for both classical and quantum regimes. This process is one of the promising methods for generating radiation in a wide frequency range, from X-ray to terahertz. The study results are published in the Physical Review Accelerators and Beams journal .

Compton backscattering is a very important physical effect, which lies in the fact that when a photon collides with a moving electron, in some cases, an electron loses some of its energy, while a photon, on the contrary, gains it. Using inverse Compton scattering on physical installations, for example, ultrahigh-energy photons are created.

The development of methods for obtaining such radiation has become extremely relevant in the last decade due to a wide range of applications, including plasma diagnostics, high-resolution radar, biomedical research and high-speed communications.

The theory developed by MEPhI scientists makes it possible to find the optimal process parameters, including certain angles of rotation of the electron and laser beams, realizing the so-called crab-crossing geometry, which has not yet been described analytically.

These parameters optimize the Compton scattering process by multiplying the luminosity, which will contribute to the development of a brighter and more compact source of terahertz radiation (or T-rays).