Monte Carlo study of the BMV vacuum linear magnetic birefringence experiment

TL;DR

This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the BMV experiment's ability to detect QED vacuum magnetic birefringence, providing insights into systematic effects and experimental limitations.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed Monte Carlo simulation approach that reproduces experimental data and helps understand the systematic effects affecting the BMV experiment.

Findings

Simulation accurately reproduces 2014 BMV data

Identifies key systematic effects limiting sensitivity

Provides a framework for optimizing future measurements

Abstract

QED vacuum can be polarized and magnetized by an external electromagnetic field, therefore acting as a birefringent medium. This effect has not yet been measured. In this paper, after having recalled the main facts concerning Vacuum Magnetic Birefringence polarimetry detection method and the related noise sources, we detail our Monte Carlo simulation of a pulsed magnetic field data run. Our Monte Carlo results are optimized to match BMV experiment 2014 data. We show that our Monte Carlo approach can reproduce experimental results giving an important insight to the systematic effects limiting experiment sensitivity.