When an ultrarelativistic electron beam collides with a sufficiently intense laser pulse, radiation-reaction effects can strongly alter the beam dynamics. In the realm of classical electrodynamics, radiation reaction has a beneficial effect on the electron beam as it tends to reduce its energy spread. Here we show that when quantum effects become important, radiation reaction induces the opposite effect; i.e., the energy distribution of the electron beam spreads out after interacting with the laser pulse. We identify the physical origin of this opposite tendency in the intrinsic stochasticity of photon emission, which becomes substantial in the quantum regime. Our numerical simulations indicate that the predicted effects of the stochasticity can be measured already with presently available lasers and electron accelerators.

• Received 23 January 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.054802