Gamma-flash generation in multi-petawatt laser–matter interactions

The progressive development of high power lasers over the last several decades enables the study of γ-photon generation when an intense laser beam interacts with matter, mainly via inverse Compton scattering at the high intensity limit. γ-ray flashes are a phenomenon of broad interest, drawing the attention of researchers working in topics ranging from cosmological scales to elementary particle scales. Over the last few years, a plethora of studies predict extremely high laser energy to γ-photon energy conversion using various target and/or laser field configurations. The aim of this article is to discuss several recently proposed γ-ray flash generation schemes, as a guide for upcoming γ-photon related experiments and for further evolution of the presently available theoretical schemes.