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On-shot diagnostic of electron beam-laser pulse interaction based on stochastic quantum radiation reaction

Ultrarelativistic electron beam-laser pulse scattering experiments are the workhorse for the investigation of QED and of possible signatures of new physics in the still largely unexplored strong-field regime. However, shot-to-shot fluctuations both of the electron beam and of the laser pulse parameters render it difficult to discern the dynamics of the interaction. Consequently, the possibility of benchmarking theoretical predictions against experimental results, which is essential for validating theoretical models, is severely limited. Here we show that the stochastic nature of quantum emission events provides a unique route to the on-shot diagnostic of the electron beam-laser pulse interaction, therefore paving the way for accurate measurements of strong-field QED effects.