Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strong laser fields as a probe for fundamental physics

  • Highlight Paper
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal D Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Upcoming high-intensity laser systems will be able to probe the quantum-induced nonlinear regime of electrodynamics. So far unobserved QED phenomena such as the discovery of a nonlinear response of the quantum vacuum to macroscopic electromagnetic fields can become accessible. In addition, such laser systems provide for a flexible tool for investigating fundamental physics. Primary goals consist in verifying so far unobserved QED phenomena. Moreover, strong-field experiments can search for new light but weakly interacting degrees of freedom and are thus complementary to accelerator-driven experiments. I review recent developments in this field, focusing on photon experiments in strong electromagnetic fields. The interaction of particle-physics candidates with photons and external fields can be parameterized by low-energy effective actions and typically predict characteristic optical signatures. I perform first estimates of the accessible new-physics parameter space of high-intensity laser facilities such as POLARIS and ELI.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. W. Heisenberg, H. Euler, Z. Phys. 98, 714 (1936); H. Euler, Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 26, 398 (1936)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. V. Weisskopf, Kong. Dans. Vid. Selsk. Math-fys. Medd. XIV, 166 (1936)

    Google Scholar 

  3. J.S. Schwinger, Phys. Rev. 82, 664 (1951)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. W. Dittrich, H. Gies, Springer Tracts Mod. Phys. 166, 1 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. G.V. Dunne, arXiv:hep-th/0406216

  6. R. Cameron et al., Phys. Rev. D 47, 3707 (1993)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. E. Zavattini et al. (PVLAS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 77, 032006 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. http://www.physik.uni-jena.de/inst/polaris//Eng-start.html

  9. http://www.extreme-light-infrastructure.eu/

  10. H. Gies, J. Phys. A 41, 164039 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  11. R.D. Peccei, H.R. Quinn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1440 (1977); R.D. Peccei, H.R. Quinn, Phys. Rev. D 16, 1791 (1977); S. Weinberg, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 223 (1978); F. Wilczek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 279 (1978)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. B. Holdom, Phys. Lett. B 166, 196 (1986)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. B. Batell, T. Gherghetta, Phys. Rev. D 73, 045016 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. J.S. Toll, Ph.D. Thesis, RX-1535; V. Baier, V. Katkov, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 53, 1478 (1967); W.-Y. Tsai, T. Erber, Phys. Rev. D 12, 1132 (1975); W.-Y. Tsai, T. Erber, Phys. Rev. D 10, 492 (1974); W. Dittrich, H. Gies, Phys. Rev. D 58, 025004 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  15. S.L. Adler, Ann. Phys. 67, 599 (1971)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. T. Heinzl, B. Liesfeld, K.U. Amthor, H. Schwoerer, R. Sauerbrey, A. Wipf, Opt. Commun. 267, 318 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. E. Alp, W. Sturhahn, T. Toellner, Hyperfine Interact. 125, 45 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. H. Gies, R. Shaisultanov, Phys. Lett. B 480, 129 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. A. Di Piazza, K.Z. Hatsagortsyan, C.H. Keitel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 083603 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. G.V. Dunne, Eur. Phys. J. D 55, 327 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. G.V. Dunne, T. Hall, Phys. Rev. D 58, 105022 (1998); F. Hebenstreit, R. Alkofer, H. Gies, Phys. Rev. D 78, 061701 (2008); S.P. Kim, H.K. Lee, Y. Yoon, Phys. Rev. D 78, 105013 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. R. Schutzhold, H. Gies, G. Dunne, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 130404 (2008)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. L. Maiani, R. Petronzio, E. Zavattini, Phys. Lett. B 175, 359 (1986); G. Raffelt, L. Stodolsky, Phys. Rev. D 37, 1237 (1988)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Ahlers, H. Gies, J. Jaeckel, A. Ringwald, Phys. Rev. D 75, 035011 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. P. Sikivie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 1415 (1983); erratum, Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 695 (1984); A.A. Anselm, Yad. Fiz. 42, 1480 (1985); M. Gasperini, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 396 (1987); K. Van Bibber, N.R. Dagdeviren, S.E. Koonin, A. Kerman, H.N. Nelson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 759 (1987)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. J. Khoury, A. Weltman, Phys. Rev. D 69, 044026 (2004); J. Khoury, A. Weltman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 171104 (2004); D.F. Mota, D.J. Shaw, Phys. Rev. D 75, 063501 (2007); D.F. Mota, D.J. Shaw, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 151102 (2006); P. Brax et al., Phys. Rev. D 76, 085010 (2007)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. H. Gies, D.F. Mota, D.J. Shaw, Phys. Rev. D 77, 025016 (2008); M. Ahlers, A. Lindner, A. Ringwald, L. Schrempp, C. Weniger, Phys. Rev. D 77, 015018 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. S.A. Abel, J. Jaeckel, V.V. Khoze, A. Ringwald, Phys. Lett. B 666, 66 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. H. Gies, J. Jaeckel, A. Ringwald, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 140402 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. J.K. Daugherty, A.K. Harding, Astrophys. J. 273, 761 (1983); H. Gies, Phys. Rev. D 61, 085021 (2000); C. Schubert, Nucl. Phys. B 585, 407 (2000); T. Heinzl, O. Schroeder, J. Phys. A 39, 11623 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. C. Robilliard et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 190403 (2007); M. Fouche et al., Phys. Rev. D 78, 032013 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. K. Ehret et al., arXiv:hep-ex/0702023

  33. A.V. Afanasev, O.K. Baker, K.W. McFarlane, arXiv:hep-ph/0605250; A. Afanasev et al., arXiv:0806.2631 [hep-ex]

  34. P. Pugnat et al., CERN-SPSC-2006-035; see http://graybook.cern.ch/programmes/experiments/OSQAR.html; P. Pugnat et al. (OSQAR Collaboration), arXiv:0712.3362 [hep-ex]

  35. A.S. Chou et al. (GammeV (T-969) Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 080402 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. A.S. Chou et al., arXiv:0806.2438 [hep-ex]

  37. H. Gies, T. Heinzl, C. Keitel, Particle Physics ELI, contribution to the ELI Technical Design Report, to appear

  38. S. Gordienko, A. Pukhov, O. Shorokhov, T. Baeva, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 115002 (2004); S.S. Bulanov, T.Zh. Esirkepov, F.F. Kamenets, F. Pegoraro, Phys. Rev. E 73, 036408 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. M. Ahlers, H. Gies, J. Jaeckel, J. Redondo, A. Ringwald, Phys. Rev. D 77, 095001 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. A. Melchiorri, A. Polosa, A. Strumia, Phys. Lett. B 650, 416 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. G.G. Raffelt, arXiv:hep-ph/061135; S. Andriamonje et al. (CAST Collaboration), J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 704, 010 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. S. Davidson, S. Hannestad, G. Raffelt, J. High Energy Phys. 5, 003 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. J. Jaeckel, E. Masso, J. Redondo, A. Ringwald, F. Takahashi, Phys. Rev. D 75, 013004 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. E. Masso, J. Redondo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 151802 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. R.N. Mohapatra, S. Nasri, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 050402 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. P. Jain, S. Stokes, arXiv:hep-ph/0611006

  47. R. Foot, A. Kobakhidze, Phys. Lett. B 650, 46 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. I. Antoniadis, A. Boyarsky, O. Ruchayskiy, Nucl. Phys. B 793, 246 (2008)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. A. Dupays, E. Masso, J. Redondo, C. Rizzo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 131802 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. E.G. Adelberger, B.R. Heckel, S.A. Hoedl, C.D. Hoyle, D.J. Kapner, A. Upadhye, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 131104 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. D.J. Kapner, T.S. Cook, E.G. Adelberger, J.H. Gundlach, B.R. Heckel, C.D. Hoyle, H.E. Swanson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 021101 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. H. Gies, J. Jaeckel, A. Ringwald, Europhys. Lett. 76, 794 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. M. Ahlers, H. Gies, J. Jaeckel, J. Redondo, A. Ringwald, Phys. Rev. D 76, 115005 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743, Jena, Germany

    H. Gies

Authors
  1. H. Gies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Gies.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gies, H. Strong laser fields as a probe for fundamental physics. Eur. Phys. J. D 55, 311–317 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00006-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00006-0

PACS

Search

Navigation