Vacuum high harmonic generation in the shock regime

TL;DR

This paper investigates vacuum high harmonic generation in the shock regime, demonstrating nonlinear electrodynamics effects through numerical and analytical methods, and identifying a shock parameter related to vacuum nonlinearities.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of electromagnetic shock formation due to vacuum high harmonic generation in nonlinear electrodynamics.

Findings

Electromagnetic shocks can form in vacuum due to high harmonic generation.

A nonlinear shock parameter characterizes the shock regime.

Numerical simulations and analytical solutions agree on shock behavior.

Abstract

Electrodynamics becomes nonlinear and permits the self-interaction of fields when the quantised nature of vacuum states is taken into account. The effect on a plane probe pulse propagating through a stronger constant crossed background is calculated using numerical simulation and by analytically solving the corresponding wave equation. The electromagnetic shock resulting from vacuum high harmonic generation is investigated and a nonlinear shock parameter identified.