The generation of isolated attosecond $\gamma$-ray pulses with transverse orbital angular momentum (TOAM) holds significant potential for revolutionizing ultrafast detection technologies and advancing fundamental research in nuclear physics and astrophysics. Here, we demonstrate an all-optical scheme to generate isolated attosecond $\gamma$-ray pulses with TOAM using a circularly polarized spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) laser in three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. An approximately 300-attosecond electron slice with TOAM is initially selected and accelerated by the central spatiotemporal singularity of the STOV laser. This slice then collides with the laser’s reflected Gaussian-like front from a planar target, initiating nonlinear Compton scattering and resulting in an isolated attosecond (approximately 300 as), highly collimated (around $4^{\circ }$), ultrabrilliant (approximately $3\times {10}^{24}{\mathrm{photons}/\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{mm}}^2/{\mathrm{mrad}}^2/0.1$%BW at 1 MeV) $\gamma$-ray pulse. Such isolated attosecond $\gamma$-ray pulses with TOAM generated by STOV-based laser drives provide additional degrees of freedom and are of interest for understanding quantum electrodynamic phenomena involving angular momentum, time-resolved detection of atomic nuclei, etc.

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• Gamma-ray generation in plasmas
• Laser driven electron acceleration
• Laser-plasma interactions
• Optical sources & detectors
• Optical vortices
• Photonuclear reactions
• Ultrafast optics
• Gamma ray spectroscopy