Tuning ofγ-ray processes with high power optical radiation

This paper reports the examination of the general problem of multiphoton processes which might occur at the nuclear level when one of the photons belongs to an intense radiation field of optical frequencies. Transition probabilities are reported which relate the rates for $\gamma$-ray transitions induced by the optical radiation to the Breit-Wigner cross sections for the absorption or emission of single $\gamma$ photons. In emission the induced processes of both anti-Stokes Raman scattering and two-photon emission are considered and both are found to lead to the generation of tunable $\gamma$ radiation. Transition probabilities are calculated to be large enough to support the production of usable spectral sources that could be tuned over a range of $\gamma$-ray energies approximately ${10}^3$ times greater than can be realized by conventional Mössbauer techniques. Analogous possibilities for the detection of nuclear reactions induced by intense optical fields also have been evaluated in this work.