Strong field vacuum birefringence in plane wave pulses

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method combining an adiabatic approximation and local Hilbert transform to calculate vacuum birefringence in strong fields, enabling Monte Carlo simulations and providing benchmarked results for photon polarization flipping.

Contribution

It presents a novel rate approach for vacuum birefringence calculations applicable to Monte Carlo simulations, validated against exact solutions for plane wave pulses.

Findings

Effective calculation method for vacuum birefringence in strong fields.

Benchmark results for polarization flipping probabilities.

Applicability to experimental parameter regimes.

Abstract

By combining an adiabatic approach based on a `locally monochromatic' approximation with a local Hilbert transform, it is demonstrated how vacuum birefringence in the strong field regime can be calculated using a rate approach suitable for Monte Carlo simulation codes. Results for the flipping of the photon's polarisation (helicity) are benchmarked with evaluation of exact expressions in a circularly (linearly) polarised plane wave of finite extent. Example probabilities are given for typical experimental parameters.