TY - JOUR
T1 - Classical Resummation and Breakdown of Strong-Field QED
AU - Heinzl, T.
AU - Ilderton, A.
AU - King, B.
PY - 2021/8/6
Y1 - 2021/8/6
N2 - QED perturbation theory has been conjectured to break down in sufficiently strong backgrounds, obstructing the analysis of strong-field physics. We show that the breakdown occurs even in classical electrodynamics, at lower field strengths than previously considered, and that it may be cured by resummation. As a consequence, an analogous resummation is required in QED. A detailed investigation shows, for a range of observables, that unitarity removes diagrams previously believed to be responsible for the breakdown of QED perturbation theory.
AB - QED perturbation theory has been conjectured to break down in sufficiently strong backgrounds, obstructing the analysis of strong-field physics. We show that the breakdown occurs even in classical electrodynamics, at lower field strengths than previously considered, and that it may be cured by resummation. As a consequence, an analogous resummation is required in QED. A detailed investigation shows, for a range of observables, that unitarity removes diagrams previously believed to be responsible for the breakdown of QED perturbation theory.
UR - https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/context/secam-research/article/1452/viewcontent/PhysRevLett.127.061601.pdf
U2 - 10.1103/physrevlett.127.061601
DO - 10.1103/physrevlett.127.061601
M3 - Article
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 127
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 6
ER -