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The question is whether this sets a hard ceiling on how intense a focused laser can get.","posed_since":"2010","precise":"Fedotov, Narozhny, Mourou and Korn (2010) argued that cascades seeded by a single pair deplete the laser field and limit the attainable focused field to far below $E_{S} \\sim 4.4 \\times 10^{13}\\ \\mathrm{statvolt/cm}$. Determine the maximal attainable peak field in a vacuum focus as a function of input power ($10\\text{-}100\\ \\mathrm{PW}$, multi-beam dipole focusing), including seeding by residual gas, by target debris and by pairs created from vacuum, and decide whether ultrahigh vacuum, pulse shaping or tight focusing lifts the limit.","problem_ref":"a03e62e75accda137cc90bc41f4686acb1a2e183d62fcee7239e067efc45ffbc","references":"","settled_by":"3D QED particle-in-cell simulations with realistic seeding and pulse shapes giving the saturated peak field, tested by measuring focal intensity or gamma-ray yield at increasing power.","status_note":"","title":"Does pair cascade absorption cap the attainable laser 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