Relative-phase dependence of dynamically assisted electron-positron pair creation in the superposition of strong oscillating electric-field pulses

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the relative phase between superimposed oscillating electric-field pulses influences electron-positron pair production, revealing phase-dependent enhancements of 10-30% in pair yields.

Contribution

It demonstrates the significant impact of relative phase on pair creation in superposed electric fields with different frequencies, a novel insight in the field.

Findings

Relative phase can enhance pair production by 10-30%.

Superpositions of different pulse configurations affect pair yields.

Phase control offers a way to optimize pair creation.

Abstract

Production of electron-positron pairs in the superposition of oscillating electric-field pulses with largely different frequencies is studied, focussing on the impact of relative phases between the pulses. Various field configurations are considered: superpositions of either two or three pulses of equal duration as well as combinations of a long low-frequency and a short high-frequency pulse. We show that the relative phase of superimposed high-frequency modes can exert a sizeable effect on the total numbers of produced pairs, enhancing them by about 10-30% for the considered field parameters.