Chiral asymmetry in QED matter in a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper calculates the electron self-energy in a magnetized QED plasma, revealing new chiral structures and characterizing the Fermi surface under weak magnetic fields, with implications for chiral asymmetry in quantum electrodynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a new parity-even chiral structure in the electron self-energy, extending understanding of chiral asymmetry in QED matter under magnetic fields.

Findings

Identification of a new chiral structure related to the magnetic field

Characterization of the Fermi surface in weak magnetic fields

Connection between long-range QED interactions and chiral asymmetry

Abstract

We calculate the electron self-energy in a magnetized QED plasma to the leading perturbative order in the coupling constant and to the linear order in an external magnetic field. We find that the chiral asymmetry of the normal ground state of the system is characterized by two new Dirac structures. One of them is the familiar chiral shift previously discussed in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The other structure is new. It formally looks like that of the chiral chemical potential but is an odd function of the longitudinal component of the momentum, directed along the magnetic field. The origin of this new parity-even chiral structure is directly connected with the long-range character of the QED interaction. The form of the Fermi surface in the weak magnetic field is determined.