https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00169-6
Quantum vacuum experiments using high intensity lasers
Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Corresponding author: a mattias.marklund@physics.umu.se
Received:
20
November
2008
Revised:
1
April
2009
Published online:
16
June
2009
The quantum vacuum constitutes a fascinating medium of study, in particular since near-future laser facilities will be able to probe the nonlinear nature of this vacuum. There has been a large number of proposed tests of the low-energy, high intensity regime of quantum electrodynamics (QED) where the nonlinear aspects of the electromagnetic vacuum come into play, and we will here give a short description of some of these. Such studies can shed light, not only on the validity of QED, but also on certain aspects of nonperturbative effects, and thus also give insights for quantum field theories in general.
PACS: 12.20.Ds – Specific calculations / 52.35.Mw – Nonlinear phenomena: waves, wave propagation, and other interactions / 95.30.Cq – Elementary particle processes
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2009
