Strong fields and recycled accelerator parts as a laboratory for fundamental physics

TL;DR

This paper discusses how low energy, high precision experiments using strong fields can effectively probe physics beyond the Standard Model, exemplified by searches for minicharged particles and hidden sector gauge fields.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of laboratory experiments with strong lasers and fields to detect minicharged particles and hidden U(1) gauge bosons, highlighting their theoretical motivation.

Findings

Proposes specific low energy experiments for detecting minicharged particles.

Shows compatibility of minicharged particles with charge quantization.

Identifies experimental signatures of hidden sector U(1) gauge fields.

Abstract

Over the last few years it has become increasingly clear that low energy, but high precision experiments provide a powerful and complementary window to physics beyond the Standard Model. In this note we illuminate this by using minicharged particles as an example. We argue that minicharged particles arise naturally in extensions of the Standard Model. Compatibility with charge quantization arguments suggests that minicharged particles typically arise together with a massless hidden sector U(1) gauge field. We present several low energy experiments employing strong lasers, electric and magnetic fields that can be used to search for (light) minicharged particles and their accompanying U(1) gauge boson.