Laser-driven collisions of electron bunches

A novel scheme allowing for relativistic collisions of laser-accelerated electrons is introduced. Two spatially separated electron bunches are driven in opposite directions by two counterpropagating laser pulses until they reach the point of collision which lies within the laser fields. This method can be employed to accelerate electrons to the maximum kinetic energy which can be transferred to charged particles by plane propagating laser fields. Due to the symmetric setup, the center of momentum is at rest with respect to the laser propagation direction such that virtually the whole kinetic energy is available for particle reactions.