Using the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process to test nonlinear vacuum birefringence
O. Borysov, B. Heinemann, A. Ilderton, B. King, А. П. Потылицын
Abstract
Quantum electrodynamics predicts that the quantum vacuum is birefringent, but due to the very small cross-section this is yet to be confirmed by experiment. Vacuum birefringence arises as the elastic part of photon-photon scattering; the inelastic part is Breit-Wheeler pair production. We outline how measurements of the photon-polarized nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process can be used to infer a measurement of all-order, nonlinear vacuum birefringence. As an example scenario, we calculate the accuracy of such a measurement for parameters anticipated at upcoming laser-particle experiments.
Topics & Concepts
BirefringencePhysicsQED vacuumPhotonNonlinear systemVacuum energyCross section (physics)Pair productionVacuum polarizationLaserScatteringQuantum electrodynamicsOpticsQuantum mechanicsQuantum Information and CryptographyMechanical and Optical ResonatorsQuantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect