Electron spin- and photon polarization-resolved probabilities of strong-field QED processes

TL;DR

This paper derives detailed polarization-resolved probabilities for photon emission and pair production in ultrastrong laser fields, essential for simulating polarization effects in nonlinear QED processes involving intense laser-plasma interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive method to calculate polarization-resolved probabilities in strong-field QED using the Baier-Katkov operator approach within the local constant field approximation.

Findings

Probabilities are provided in a compact form for ultrarelativistic regimes.

The results are applicable to arbitrary laser field configurations.

The work facilitates advanced polarization studies in nonlinear QED simulations.

Abstract

A derivation of fully polarization-resolved probabilities is provided for high-energy photon emission and electron-positron pair production in ultrastrong laser fields. The probabilities resolved in both electron spin and photon polarization of incoming and outgoing particles are indispensable for developing QED Monte Carlo and QED-Particle-in-Cell codes, aimed at the investigation of polarization effects in nonlinear QED processes in ultraintense laser-plasma and laser-electron beam interactions, and other nonlinear QED processes in external ultrastrong fields, which involve multiple elementary processes of a photon emission and pair production. The quantum operator method introduced by Baier and Katkov is employed for the calculation of probabilities within the quasiclassical approach and the local constant field approximation. The probabilities for the ultrarelativistic regime are given in a compact form and are suitable to describe polarization effects in strong laser fields of arbitrary configuration, rendering them very well suited for applications.