Towards a vacuum birefringence experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields: Letter of Intent of the BIREF@HIBEF Collaboration

James Edwards; Tom Heinzl; B. King

doi:10.1017/hpl.2024.70

Towards a vacuum birefringence experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields: Letter of Intent of the BIREF@HIBEF Collaboration

James Edwards, Tom Heinzl, B. King

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Abstract

Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic
extent. This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory. A
particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence. This
offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter
regime. Recently, the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by
the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific
instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an
X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray
polarimetry, refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set
the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.

Original language	English
Article number	e7
Pages (from-to)	e7
Number of pages	31
Journal	High Power Laser Science and Engineering
Volume	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/hpl.2024.70
Publication status	Published - 12 Mar 2025

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Nuclear Energy and Engineering

Keywords

light-by-light scattering
vacuum birefringence
vacuum polarization

Access to Document

10.1017/hpl.2024.70

Published Version - 010000e7Final published version, 7.32 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Towards a vacuum birefringence experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields: Letter of Intent of the BIREF@HIBEF Collaboration",

abstract = "Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent. This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory. A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence. This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime. Recently, the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry, refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.",

keywords = "light-by-light scattering, vacuum birefringence, vacuum polarization",

author = "James Edwards and Tom Heinzl and B. King",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1017/hpl.2024.70",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

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T1 - Towards a vacuum birefringence experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields

T2 - Letter of Intent of the BIREF@HIBEF Collaboration

AU - Edwards, James

AU - Heinzl, Tom

AU - King, B.

PY - 2025/3/12

Y1 - 2025/3/12

N2 - Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent. This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory. A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence. This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime. Recently, the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry, refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.

AB - Quantum field theory predicts a nonlinear response of the vacuum to strong electromagnetic fields of macroscopic extent. This fundamental tenet has remained experimentally challenging and is yet to be tested in the laboratory. A particularly distinct signature of the resulting optical activity of the quantum vacuum is vacuum birefringence. This offers an excellent opportunity for a precision test of nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in an uncharted parameter regime. Recently, the operation of the high-intensity Relativistic Laser at the X-ray Free Electron Laser provided by the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields has been inaugurated at the High Energy Density scientific instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. We make the case that this worldwide unique combination of an X-ray free-electron laser and an ultra-intense near-infrared laser together with recent advances in high-precision X-ray polarimetry, refinements of prospective discovery scenarios and progress in their accurate theoretical modelling have set the stage for performing an actual discovery experiment of quantum vacuum nonlinearity.

KW - light-by-light scattering

KW - vacuum birefringence

KW - vacuum polarization

UR - https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/secam-research/2085/

U2 - 10.1017/hpl.2024.70

DO - 10.1017/hpl.2024.70

M3 - Article

SN - 2095-4719

VL - 13

SP - e7

JO - High Power Laser Science and Engineering

JF - High Power Laser Science and Engineering

M1 - e7

ER -

Towards a vacuum birefringence experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields: Letter of Intent of the BIREF@HIBEF Collaboration

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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Letter of Intent: Towards a Vacuum Birefringence Experiment at the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields

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