Manipulation of the Vacuum to Control Its Field-Induced Decay.

Area of Science:

• Quantum Field Theory
• High-Energy Physics
• Quantum Electrodynamics

Background:

• Permanent electron-positron pair creation from the quantum vacuum is predicted when electric fields exceed a supercritical value.
• Understanding the mechanisms and control of vacuum pair creation is crucial for fundamental physics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the possibility of controlling the yield of created positrons at targeted energies.
• To explore the nonlocal characteristics of quantum vacuum pair creation.

Main Methods:

• Numerical solution of the Dirac equation to model pair creation.
• Introduction of a second, subcritical electric field placed remotely from the primary creation zone.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that a distant, subcritical electric field can control the yield of created positrons at specific energies.
• Confirmed the nonlocal nature of pair creation, as the control field does not interact directly with the created particles.
• Observed that the second field influences the vacuum state dressing prior to particle creation.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a clear indication of the nonlocal character of electron-positron pair creation from the quantum vacuum.
• An analytical expression for the created particle spectrum was derived, explaining the observed phenomena.
• The findings suggest a novel method for manipulating quantum vacuum processes using external fields.