Dynamically assisted Schwinger mechanism

TL;DR

This paper investigates how combining a strong, slowly varying electric field with a weak, rapidly changing electromagnetic field can significantly enhance electron-positron pair creation from the vacuum, relevant for ultra-high intensity laser experiments.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the superposition of these fields dramatically increases pair creation rates in regimes where each mechanism alone is suppressed, revealing a new enhancement effect.

Findings

Enhanced pair creation rate due to combined fields

Lowered threshold for dynamical pair creation

Potential applications in ultra-high intensity laser experiments

Abstract

We study electron-positron pair creation {from} the Dirac vacuum induced by a strong and slowly varying electric field (Schwinger effect) which is superimposed by a weak and rapidly changing electromagnetic field (dynamical pair creation). In the sub-critical regime where both mechanisms separately are strongly suppressed, their combined impact yields a pair creation rate which is {dramatically} enhanced. Intuitively speaking, the strong electric field lowers the threshold for dynamical particle creation -- or, alternatively, the fast electromagnetic field generates additional seeds for the Schwinger mechanism. These findings could be relevant for planned ultra-high intensity lasers.