arXiv subjects

Selym Villalba-Chávez

Publications and source records attributed to Selym Villalba-Chávez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Condensation of slow $γ$-quanta in strong magnetic fields

The implications of the root singularity of the vacuum polarization tensor near the first pair creation threshold on blackbody radiation are investigated for magnetic fields above the characteristic scale of quantum electrodynamics. We show that the vacuum birefringence in such a strong background leads to an anisotropic behavior of the Planck radiation law. The thermal spectrum is characterized by a resonance that competes with the Wien maximum, causing a crossover in the low $γ$-spectrum of the heat radiation. A light state resembling a many-body condensate with slow motion is linked to the high-temperature phase. This novel state of radiation may coexist with nuclear or quark matter in a neutron star's core, increasing its compactness and influencing its stability.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Magnetic-field-tunable anisotropic blackbody radiation and condensation of slow thermal light in dynamical axion insulators

Thermal radiation features of dynamical axion insulators, which are characterized by an antiferromagnetic order with simultaneously broken time-reversal and space-inversion symmetries, are investigated. Planck's radiation law is shown to exhibit remarkable anisotropic behavior as a result of the strong dispersion caused by the light-matter interaction. A crossover scenario at low temperature is identified and an associated phase highly populated by slow thermal photons is revealed. We show that the asymmetry degree of the heat radiation and its angular distribution can be controlled via a magnetic field, paving the way toward a directional-tunable mechanism for thermal quantum manipulation and storage. Analogies are drawn with the expected behavior of blackbody radiation in the core of neutron stars.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Light-amplified Landau-Zener conductivity in gapped graphene monolayers: a simulacrum of photo-catalyzed vacuum instability

Interband transitions of electrons in a gapped graphene monolayer are highly stimulated near the Fermi surface when a high-frequency electric wave of weak intensity and a strong constant electric field are superposed in the plane of the flake. We consider this phenomenon equivalent to the Franz-Keldysh effect, paying particular attention to the regime where the photon energy linked to the fast-oscillating field is just below the graphene gap, so that the quantum transitions still occur through tunneling effects while being facilitated by the one-photon absorption channel. In the considered parameter regime the photo-catalyzed current linked to the described setup is shown to exceed the one driven by the strong field solely by several orders of magnitude. Conditions to relieve the impact of the field's finite extension are discussed, and a formula for the residual current density is derived. The robustness of our assessment supports the viability of detecting this phenomenon in graphene, thus providing a simulation of the dynamically-assisted Schwinger mechanism in QED.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Axion Electrodynamics in Strong Magnetic Backgrounds

The overcritical regime of axion-electrodynamics (AED) is investigated. For magnetic fields larger than the characteristic scale linked to AED, quantum vacuum fluctuations due to axion-like fields can dominate over those associated with the electron-positron fields. This hypothetical regime of the dominance of AED over QED is predicted to induce strong birefringence and screening effects. We show that, if the magnetic field lines are curved, extraordinary photons could be canalized along the field direction. It is also shown that the running QED coupling depends on the magnetic field strength, and for certain energy regimes, it could be screened almost to zero, making the QED building blocks very weakly interacting between each other. The impact of this phenomenon on the radiation mechanism of pulsars is discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Non-linear Breit-Wheeler pair production in collisions of bremsstrahlung $γ-$quanta and a tightly focussed laser pulse

Experimental efforts toward the detection of the nonperturbative strong-field regime of the Breit-Wheeler pair creation process plan to combine incoherent sources of GeV $γ$ quanta and the coherent fields of tightly focussed optical laser pulses. This endeavour calls for a theoretical understanding of how the pair yields depend on the applied laser field profile. We provide estimates for the number of produced pairs in a setup where the high-energy radiation is generated via bremsstrahlung. Attention is paid to the role of the transversal and longitudinal focussing of the laser field, along with the incorporation of a Gaussian pulse envelope. We compare our corresponding results with predictions from plane-wave models and determine the parameters of focused laser pulses which maximize the pair yield at fixed pulse energy. Besides, the impact of various super-Gaussian profiles for the laser pulse envelope and its transverse shape is discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Strong-field Breit-Wheeler pair production in $\mathrm{QED}_{2+1}$

The Breit-Wheeler pair production process in $2+1$ dimensional spacetime is investigated. In the perturbative regime, non-vanishing rates at the energy threshold are found when odd numbers of photons take part on the reaction. This behaviour is understood as a direct consequence of the reduced dimensionality and resembles a corresponding prediction made in gapped graphene monolayers. In the non-perturbative strong field regime the effect of the dimensionality manifests itself in a different rate dependence on the quantum non-linearity parameter. The consequence of this deviation is discussed briefly in line with the applicability of perturbation theory. We argue that, in addition to large values of the quantum non-linearity parameter, the superrenormalisable character of quantum electrodynamics in $2+1$ dimensional spacetime might give rise to a breakdown of perturbation theory within certain energy scales.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Linear Breit-Wheeler pair production by high-energy bremsstrahlung photons colliding with an intense X-ray laser pulse

A possible setup for the experimental verification of linear Breit-Wheeler pair creation of electrons and positrons in photon-photon collisions is studied theoretically. It combines highly energetic bremsstrahlung photons, which are assumed to be generated by an incident beam of GeV electrons penetrating through a high-$Z$ target, with keV photons from an X-ray laser field, which is described as a focused Gaussian pulse. We discuss the dependencies of the pair yields on the incident electron energy, target thickness, laser parameters, and collision geometry. It is shown that, for suitable conditions which are nowadays in reach at X-ray laser facilities, the resulting number of created particles seems to be well accessible for enabling the first experimental observation of the linear Breit-Wheeler process $γγ\to e^+e^-$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Signatures of the Schwinger mechanism assisted by a fast-oscillating electric field

The spontaneous production of electron-positron pairs from the vacuum--in a field configuration composed of a high-frequency electric mode of weak intensity and a strong constant electric field--is investigated. Asymptotic expressions for the single-particle distribution function ruling this nonperturbative process are established by considering the low-density approximation in the Boltzmann-Vlasov equation. An analytical formula for the density rate of yielded particles is established which is shown to manifest a nonperturbative dependence on both the strong and weak electric fields and to interpolate between the tunneling and multi-photon regimes. It is shown that--under appropriate circumstances--the produced plasma of electrons and positrons might reach densities for which their recombinations into high-energy photons occurs copiously. On the basis of this feature, an experimental setup for observing the dynamically-assisted Schwinger effect is put forward.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Simulating dynamically assisted production of Dirac pairs in gapped graphene monolayers

In a vicinity of the Fermi surface, graphene layers with bandgaps allow for closely simulating the vacuum of quantum electrodynamics and, thus, its yet unverified strong-field phenomenology with accessible field strengths. This striking feature is exploited to investigate a plausible materialization of dynamically assisted pair production through the analog production of light but massive pairs of Dirac quasiparticles. The process is considered in a field configuration combining a weak high-frequency electric mode and a strong low-frequency electric field oscillating in time. Its theoretical study is carried out from a quantum kinetic approach, similar to the one governing the spontaneous production of pairs in QED. We show that the presence of the weak assisting mode can strongly increase the number of produced massive Dirac pairs as compared with a setup driven by the strong field only. The efficiency of the process is contrasted, moreover, with the case of gapless graphene to highlight the role played by the quasiparticle mass.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Axion-modified photon propagator, Coulomb potential and Lamb-shift

A consistent renormalization of a quantum theory of axion-electrodynamics requires terms beyond the minimal coupling of two photons to a neutral pseudoscalar field. This procedure is used to determine the self-energy operators of the electromagnetic and the axion fields with an accuracy of second-order in the axion-diphoton coupling. The resulting polarization tensor is utilized for establishing the axion-modified Coulomb potential of a static pointlike charge. In connection, the plausible distortion of the Lamb-shift in hydrogenlike atoms is established and the scopes for searching axionlike particles in high-precision atomic spectroscopy and in experiments of Cavendish-type are investigated. Particularly, we show that these hypothetical degrees of freedom are ruled out as plausible candidates for explaining the proton radius anomaly in muonic hydrogen. A certain loophole remains, though, which is linked to the nonrenormalizable nature of axion-electrodynamics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Criticality and dominance of axion physics in highly magnetized vacuum

In a constant and homogeneous magnetic background, quantum vacuum fluctuations due to axion-like fields can dominate over those associated with the electron-positron fields. Considering the framework of axion-electrodynamics, the self-energy operator for the electromagnetic field is determined with an accuracy to second-order in the axion-diphoton coupling. This outcome is utilized for establishing modifications to the propagation characteristics of photons and to the Coulomb potential of a static pointlike charge. Notably, in the magnetosphere of a neutron star, the effect of photon capture by the magnetic field, known in QED as relating to gamma-quanta, is extended in axion electrodynamics to include X-ray photons with the result that a specially polarized part of the heat radiation from the surface is canalized along the magnetic field. Besides, for field strengths larger than the critical scale associated with this theory, the modified Coulomb potential is of Yukawa-type in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field at distances much smaller than the Compton wavelength of an axion, while along the field it follows approximately the Coulomb law at any length scale. We find that at unlimitedly large magnetic fields the longstanding problem -- overcome in QED -- that the ground-state energy of a hydrogen atom is unbounded from below, is reinstated. However, in axion-electrodynamics this unboundedness is cut off because the largest magnetic field treatable within this theory is limited by the unitarity of the associated scattering matrix.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Polarization-operator approach to optical signatures of axion-like particles in strong laser pulses

Hypothetical oscillations of probe photons into axion-like particles might be revealed by exploiting the strong fields of high-intensity laser pulses. Considering an arbitrary plane-wave background, we determine the polarization tensor induced by the quantum fluctuations of the axion field and use it to calculate how the polarimetric properties of an initially linear-polarized probe beam are modified. We find that various experimental setups based on contemporary facilities and instrumentation might lead to new exclusion bounds on the parameter space of these particle candidates. The impact of the pulse shape on the discovery potential is studied via a comparison between the cases in which the wave is modulated by a Gaussian envelope and a $\sin^2$ profile. This analysis shows that the upper limits resulting from the ellipticity are relatively insensitive to this change, whereas those arising from the rotation of the polarization plane turn out to be more dependent on the field shape.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Low-dimensional approach to pair production in an oscillating electric field: Application to bandgap graphene layers

The production of particle-antiparticle pairs from the quantum field theoretic ground state in the presence of an external electric field is studied. Starting with the quantum kinetic Boltzmann-Vlasov equation in four-dimensional spacetime, we obtain the corresponding equations in lower dimensionalities by way of spatial compactification. Our outcomes in $2+1$-dimensions are applied to bandgap graphene layers, where the charge carriers have the particular property of behaving like light massive Dirac fermions. We calculate the single-particle distribution function for the case of an electric field oscillating in time and show that the creation of particle-hole pairs in this condensed matter system closely resembles electron-positron pair production by the Schwinger effect.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Minicharged particles search by strong laser pulse-induced vacuum polarization effects

Laser-based searches of the yet unobserved vacuum birefringence might be sensitive for very light hypothetical particles carrying a tiny fraction of the electron charge. We show that, with the help of contemporary techniques, polarimetric investigations driven by an optical laser pulse of moderate intensity might allow for excluding regions of the parameter space of these particle candidates which have not been discarded so far by laboratory measurement data. Particular attention is paid to the role of a Gaussian wave profile. It is argued that, at energy regimes in which the vacuum becomes dichroic due to these minicharges, the transmission probability of a probe beam through an analyzer set crossed to the initial polarization direction will depend on both the induced ellipticity as well as the rotation of the initial polarization plane. The weak and strong field regimes, relative to the attributes of these minicharged particles, and the relevance of the polarization of the strong field are investigated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Light dark matter candidates in intense laser pulses II: the relevance of the spin degrees of freedom

Optical searches assisted by the field of a laser pulse might allow for exploring a variety of not yet detected dark matter candidates such as hidden-photons and scalar minicharged particles. These hypothetical degrees of freedom may be understood as a natural consequence of extensions of the Standard Model incorporating a hidden $\rm U(1)$-gauge sector. In this paper, we study the effects induced by both candidates on the propagation of a probe electromagnetic waves in the vacuum polarized by a long laser pulse of moderate intensity, this way complementing our previous study [JHEP \textbf{06}, $177$ ($2015$)]. We describe how the absence of a spin in the scalar charged carriers modifies the photon-paraphoton oscillations as compared with a fermionic minicharge model. In particular, we find that the regime close to their lowest threshold mass might provide the most stringent upper limit for minicharged scalars. The pure-laser based experiment investigated here could allow 23for excluding a sector in the parameter space of the particles which has not been experimentally ruled out by setups driven by dipole magnets. We explain how the sign of the ellipticity and rotation of the polarization plane acquired by a probe photon--in combination with their dependencies on the pulse parameters--can be exploited to elucidate the quantum statistics of the charge carriers.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Light dark matter candidates in intense laser pulses I: paraphotons and fermionic minicharged particles

Polarimetric experiments driven by the strong field of a circularly polarized laser wave can become a powerful tool to limit the parameter space of not yet detected hidden-photons and minicharged particles associated with extra U(1) gauge symmetries. We show how the absorption and dispersion of probe electromagnetic waves in the vacuum polarized by such a background are modified due to the coupling between the visible U(1)-gauge sector and these hypothetical degrees of freedom. The results of this analysis reveal that the regime close to the two-photon reaction threshold can be a sensititive probe of these hidden particles. Parameters of modern laser systems are used to estimate the constraints on the corresponding coupling constants in regions where experiments driven by dipole magnets are less constricted. The role played by a paraphoton field is analyzed via a comparison with a model in which the existence of minicharges is assumed only. For both scenarios is found that the most stringent exclusion limit occurs at the lowest threshold mass; this one being determined by a certain combination of the field frequencies and dictated by energy momentum balance of the photo-production of a pair of minicharged particles. The dependencies of the observables on the laser attributes as well as on the unknown particle parameters are also analyzed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Electron-positron pair production in a bifrequent oscillating electric field

Production of electron-positron pairs from the quantum vacuum polarized by the superposition of a strong and a perturbative oscillating electric-field mode is studied. Our outcomes rely on a nonequilibrium quantum field theoretical approach, described by the quantum kinetic Boltzmann-Vlasov equation. By superimposing the perturbative mode, the characteristic resonant effects and Rabi-like frequencies in the single-particle distribution function are modified, as compared to the predictions resulting from the case driven by a strong oscillating field mode only. This is demonstrated in the momentum spectra of the produced pairs. Moreover, the dependence of the total number of pairs on the intensity parameter of each mode is discussed and a strong enhancement found for large values of the relative Keldysh parameter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Laser-driven search of axion-like particles including vacuum polarization effects

Oscillations of photons into axion-like particles in a high-intensity laser field are investigated. Nonlinear QED effects are considered through the low energy behavior of the vacuum polarization tensor, which is derived from the Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian in the one-loop and weak field approximations. The expressions obtained in this framework are applied to the configuration in which the strong background field is a circularly polarized monochromatic plane wave. The outcomes of this analysis reveal that, in the regime of low energy-momentum transfer, the axion field induces a chiral-like birefringence and dichroism in the vacuum which is not manifest in a pure QED context. The corresponding ellipticity and angular rotation of the polarization plane are also determined. We take advantage of such observables to impose exclusion limits on the axion parameters. Our predictions cover axion masses for which a setup based on dipole magnets provides less stringent constraints. Possible experimental scenarios in which our results could be tested are also discussed.

hep-ph↗