Resummation of the $\alpha$ expansion for nonlinear pair production

TL;DR

This paper develops a resummation method for the $ ext{alpha}$ expansion in nonlinear pair production, accounting for quantum radiation reaction and spin effects in intense background fields, revealing significant higher-order contributions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel resummation technique for the $ ext{alpha}$ expansion that includes quantum radiation and spin effects in nonlinear pair production processes.

Findings

Higher-order terms can change the sign of spin-dependent parts at $T<1$

Resummation captures nontrivial dependencies on background field strength and coupling

Results are experimentally accessible in high-intensity laser experiments

Abstract

We show how to resum the Furry-picture $\alpha$ expansion in order to take quantum radiation reaction and spin transition into account in the nonlinear trident process in (pulsed) plane-wave background fields. The results are therefore nontrivial functions of both the background field strength, $eE$, and the coupling to the quantized photon field, $\alpha=e^2/4\pi$. The effective expansion parameter, $T$, is $\alpha$ times $eE/m\omega\gg1$, which makes higher orders important. We show that they can change the sign of the spin dependent part already at $T<1$, which will be experimentally accessible.