Theory Of Electrodynamics Research Articles

Finite beaming effect on QED cascades

The quantum electrodynamic (QED) theory predicts the photon emission and pair creation involved in QED cascades occur mainly in a forward cone with finite angular spread Δθ∼1/γi along the momenta of incoming particles. This finite beaming effect has been assumed to be negligible because of the particles' ultra-relativistic Lorentz factor γi≫1 in laser-driven QED cascades. We develop an energy- and angularly resolved particle-tracking code, resolving both the energy spectra and the momentum profile of the outgoing particles in each QED event, which improves substantially the agreement between the simulation and exact QED results. We investigate QED cascades driven by two counter-propagating circularly polarized laser pulses, and show that the narrow beaming could be accumulated to effectively suppress the long-term growth of cascades, even though it can hardly affect the early formation of cascades. For QED cascades longer than 10 laser cycles, the finite beaming effect could decrease the final pair yield, especially at ultrahigh intensities ξ>600, by more than 10%.

Collective quantum dynamics with distant quantum emitters in slow-wave nanoplasmonic waveguides

We consider a slow-wave nanoplasmonic waveguide system with spatially separated (distant) quantum emitters. Based on a nanoplasmonic waveguide quantum electrodynamic theory the emerging non-Markovian collective plasmon-polariton dynamics directly reflects the spatial positioning of the quantum emitters. A phase-space analysis allows us to distinguish between collectivity and cooperativity and the transition between these regimes. For distant emitters, temporal decoherence is reflected in anomalous phase-space evolution. In the spectral domain, collectivity emerges as a resonant single Lorentzian peak with two weak sidebands, while cooperativity manifests as a Fano-like resonance normal-mode splitting. Remarkably, even for distant quantum emitters, we achieve collective multiple quantum emitter dynamics with non-vanishing excitation and vanishing instantaneous emission, establishing an interaction-based quantum nanoplasmonic memory with key relevance in quantum nanoplasmonic networks.

Theory of Classical Electrodynamics with Topologically Quantized Singularities as Electric Charges

AbstractA theory of classical electrodynamics, where the only admissible electric charges are topological singularities in the electromagnetic field, is formulated. Charge quantization is accounted by the Chern theorem, such that Dirac magnetic monopoles are not needed. The theory allows positive and negative charges of equal magnitude, where the sign of the charge corresponds to the chirality of the topological singularity. Given the trajectory of the singularity, one can calculate electric and magnetic fields identical to those produced by Maxwell's equations for a moving point charge, apart from a multiplicative constant factor related to electron charge and vacuum permittivity. The theory is based on the relativistic Weyl equation in frequency‐wavevector space, with eigenstates comprising the position, velocity, and acceleration of the singularity, and eigenvalues defining the retarded position of the charge. From the eigenstates, one calculates the Berry connection and the Berry curvatures, and identifies the curvatures as electric and magnetic fields.

Higher-form symmetry and chiral transport in real-time Abelian lattice gauge theory

We study classical lattice simulations of theories of electrodynamics coupled to charged matter at finite temperature, interpreting them using the higher-form symmetry formulation of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). We compute transport coefficients using classical Kubo formulas on the lattice and show that the properties of the simulated plasma are in complete agreement with the predictions from effective field theories. In particular, the higher-form formulation allows us to understand from hydrodynamic considerations the relaxation rate of axial charge in the chiral plasma observed in previous simulations. A key point is that the resistivity of the plasma – defined in terms of Kubo formulas for the electric field in the 1-form formulation of MHD – remains a well-defined and predictive quantity at strong electromagnetic coupling. However, the Kubo formulas used to define the conventional conductivity vanish at low frequencies due to electrodynamic fluctuations, and thus the concept of the conductivity of a gauged electric current must be interpreted with care.

Generalized TT¯-like deformations in duality-invariant nonlinear electrodynamic theories

This study introduces a high-order perturbation methodology to categorize two primary solution types within duality-invariant nonlinear electrodynamic theories, adhering to the differential self-duality criterion. The first solution type aligns with irrelevant stress tensor flows, resembling TT¯ dynamics, and the second involves a blend of irrelevant TT¯-like and marginal root-TT¯-like deformations. Our approach facilitates the investigation of diverse duality-invariant nonlinear electrodynamics theories and their stress tensor flows and confirms the commutativity of flows initiated by irrelevant and marginal operators.

Exploring nonlinear electrodynamics theories: Shadows of regular black holes and horizonless ultracompact objects

Exploring nonlinear electrodynamics theories: Shadows of regular black holes and horizonless ultracompact objects

Generation of Quantum Vortex Electrons with Intense Laser Pulses.

Accelerating a free electron to high-energy forms the basis for studying particle and nuclear physics. Here it is shown that the wave function of such an energetic electron can be further manipulated with the femtosecond intense lasers. During the scattering between a high-energy electron and a circularly polarized laser pulse, a regime is found where the enormous spin angular momenta of laser photons can be efficiently transferred to the electron orbital angular momentum (OAM). The wave function of the scattered electron is twisted from its initial plane-wave state to the quantum vortex state. Nonlinear quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory suggests that the GeV-level electrons acquire average intrinsic OAM beyond at laser intensities of 1020Wcm-2 with linear scaling. These electrons emit γ-photons with two-peak spectrum, which sets them apart from the ordinary electrons. The findings demonstrate a proficient method for generating relativistic leptons with the vortex wave functions based on existing laser technology, thereby fostering a novel source for particle and nuclear physics.

Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions and the blackbody thermal laws

Abstract Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions (on and above d = 2) is investigated in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics theories that depend exclusively on the invariant F ( = − ( 1 / 4 ) F μ ν F μ ν ) . In this vein, we consider propagating waves under the influence of external uniform electric and magnetic fields. Features related to the blackbody radiation in the presence of a background constant electric field such as the generalization of the spectral energy density distribution and the Stefan–Boltzmann law are obtained. Interestingly enough, anisotropic contributions to the frequency spectrum appear in connection to the nonlinearity of the electromagnetic field. In addition, the long wavelength regime and Wien’s displacement law in this situation are studied. The corresponding thermodynamics quantities at thermal equilibrium, such as energy, pressure, entropy, and heat capacity densities are contemplated as well.

Thermodynamic Topology of Topological Black Hole in F(R)-ModMax Gravity’s Rainbow

Abstract In order to include the effect of high energy and topological parameters on black holes in $\mathrm{ F}(R)$ gravity, we consider two corrections to this gravity: energy-dependent spacetime with different topological constants, and a nonlinear electrodynamics field. In other words, we combine $\mathrm{ F}(R)$ gravity’s rainbow with ModMax nonlinear electrodynamics theory to see the effects of high energy and topological parameters on the physics of black holes. For this purpose, we first extract topological black hole solutions in $\mathrm{ F}(R)$-ModMax gravity’s rainbow. Then, by considering black holes as thermodynamic systems, we obtain thermodynamic quantities and check the first law of thermodynamics. The effect of the topological parameter on the Hawking temperature and the total mass of black holes is obvious. We also discuss the thermodynamic topology of topological black holes in $\mathrm{ F}(R)$-ModMax gravity’s rainbow using the off-shell free energy method. In this formalism, black holes are assumed to be equivalent to defects in their thermodynamic spaces. For our analysis, we consider two different types of thermodynamic ensembles. These are: fixed q ensemble and fixed $\phi$ ensemble. We take into account all the different types of curvature hypersurfaces that can be constructed in these black holes. The local and global topology of these black holes are studied by computing the topological charges at the defects in their thermodynamic spaces. Finally, in accordance with their topological charges, we classify the black holes into three topological classes with total winding numbers corresponding to $-1, 0$, and 1. We observe that the topological classes of these black holes are dependent on the value of the rainbow function, the sign of the scalar curvature, and the choice of ensembles.

Exact black holes in string-inspired Euler-Heisenberg theory

We consider higher-order derivative gauge field corrections that arise in the fundamental context of dimensional reduction of string theory and Lovelock-inspired gravities and obtain an exact and asymptotically flat black hole solution, in the presence of nontrivial dilaton configurations. Specifically, by considering the gravitational theory of Euler-Heisenberg nonlinear electrodynamics coupled to a dilaton field with specific coupling functions, we perform an extensive analysis of the characteristics of the black hole, including its geodesics for massive particles, the energy conditions, thermodynamical and stability analysis. The inclusion of a dilaton scalar potential in the action can also give rise to asymptotically (anti) de Sitter spacetimes and an effective cosmological constant. Moreover, we find that the black hole can be thermodynamically favored when compared to the Gibbons-Maeda-Garfinkle-Horowitz-Strominger black hole for those parameters of the model that lead to a larger black hole horizon for the same mass. Finally, it is observed that the energy conditions of the obtained black hole are indeed satisfied, further validating the robustness of the solution within the theoretical framework, but also implying that this self-gravitating dilaton-nonlinear-electrodynamics system constitutes another explicit example of bypassing modern versions of the no-hair theorem without any violation of the energy conditions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Causality and energy conditions in nonlinear electrodynamics

For the general theory of nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) we prove that causality implies both the Dominant Energy Condition (DEC) and, surprisingly, the Strong Energy Condition (SEC). This has implications for gravitational applications, such as regular black holes supported by NLED matter. For self-dual NLED theories, weak-field causality alone implies both the DEC and SEC, as we illustrate with Born-Infeld and ModMax electrodynamics.

Causal self-dual electrodynamics

Many theories of nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) that have been proposed in physical contexts involving strong fields are causal for weak fields but acausal for strong fields. We show that for any such theory there is a unique causal and self-dual (electromagnetic duality invariant) theory with the same Lagrangian at zero magnetic field. This follows from a construction of the general causal self-dual NLED, which shows that strong-field causality is implied by weak-field causality for self-dual theories. We illustrate our results with explicit examples. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Born again

Born’s original 1933 theory of nonlinear electrodynamics (in contrast to the later Born-Infeld theory) is acausal for strong fields. We explore the issue of strong-field causality violation in families of theories containing Born and/or Born-Infeld, and many variants that have been previously proposed in contexts that include cosmology and black hole physics. Many of these variants are acausal and hence unphysical. A notable exception is the modified Born-Infeld theory with ModMax as its conformal weak-field limit.

Extreme near-field heat transfer between silica surfaces

Despite recent experiments exhibiting an impressive enhancement in radiative heat flux between parallel planar silica surfaces with gap sizes of about 10 nm, the exploration of sub-nanometric gap distances remains unexplored. In this work, by employing non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations, we study the heat transfer between two SiO2 plates in both their amorphous and crystalline forms. When the gap size is 2 nm, we find that the heat transfer coefficient experiences a substantial ∼30-fold increase compared to the experimental value at the gap size of 10 nm confirming the dependence on the distance inversely quadratic as predicted by the fluctuational electrodynamics (FE) theory. Comparative analysis between NEMD and FE reveals a generally good agreement, particularly for amorphous silica. Spectral heat transfer analysis demonstrates the profound influence of gap size on heat transfer, with peaks corresponding to the resonances of dielectric function. Deviations from the fluctuational electrodynamics theory at smaller gap sizes are interpreted in the context of acoustic phonon tunneling and the effects of a gradient of permittivity close to the surfaces.

The geometrization of Maxwell's equations and the emergence of gravity and antimatter

Coupling the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor is shown to lead to a geometricized theory of electrodynamics. While this geometricized theory leads directly to the classical Maxwell equations, it also extends their physical interpretation by giving charge density and the four-velocity that describe its motion geometric definitions. Introducing mass using a conserved energy-momentum tensor, all solutions to the geometricized theory of electrodynamics developed here are shown to be consistent with the emergence of gravity obeying the General Relativity field equation augmented by a term that mimics the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Finally, due to the symmetries of the theory, the properties and phenomenology of antimatter emerge in solutions.

Hint for a Minimal Interaction Length in e+e−⟶γγ Annihilation in Total Cross Section of Center-of-Mass Energies 55-207 GeV

The measurements of the total cross section of the e+e−⟶γγγ reaction from the VENUS, TOPAS, OPAL, DELPHI, ALEPH, and L3 collaborations, collected between 1989 and 2003, are used to perform a χ2 test to validate the current quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory and search for possible deviations with the direct contact term annihilation. By observing a deviation from the QED predictions on the total cross section of the e+e−⟶γγγ reaction above s=180.0 GeV, a non-QED direct contact term is introduced following the dimension 6 effective theory to explain the deviation. In the non-QED direct contact term, a threshold energy scale Λ is included and explained to the finite interaction length in direct contact term and in consequence the size of the electron involved in the annihilation area. The experimental data of the total cross section is compared to the QED cross section by a χ2 test, which gives a best fit of the Λ to be 1576±202 GeV, corresponding to a finite interaction length of re=1.25±0.16×10−17 (cm). In the direct contact term annihilation, this interaction length is a measure of the size of an electron re. By combining all the data results from the mentioned collaborations, we have at least 2 to 3 times more statistics than every single experiment at high s region. This induces the best precision on re compared to the previous measurements.

Absorption and unbounded superradiance in a static regular black hole spacetime

Regular black holes (RBHs)—geometries free from curvature singularities—arise naturally in theories of nonlinear electrodynamics. Here we study the absorption and superradiant amplification of a monochromatic planar wave in a charged, massive scalar field impinging on the electrically charged Ayón-Beato-García (ABG) RBH. Comparisons are drawn with absorption and superradiance for the Reissner-Nordström (RN) black hole in linear electrodynamics. We find that, in a certain parameter regime, the ABG absorption cross section is negative, due to superradiance, and moreover it is unbounded from below as the momentum of the wave approaches zero; this phenomenon of “unbounded superradiance” is absent in the RN case. We show how the parameter space can be divided into regions, using the bounded/unbounded and absorption/amplification boundaries. After introducing a high-frequency approximation based on particle trajectories, we calculate the absorption cross section numerically, via the partial-wave expansion, as a function of wave frequency, and we present a gallery of results. The cross section of the ABG RBH is found to be larger (smaller) than in the RN case when the field charge has the same (opposite) sign as the black hole charge. We show that it is possible to find “mimics”: situations in which the cross sections of both black holes are very similar. We conclude with a discussion of unbounded superradiance and superradiant instabilities. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Nonlinear problems inspired by the Born–Infeld theory of electrodynamics

Abstract It is shown that nonlinear electrodynamics of the Born–Infeld theory type may be exploited to shed insight into a few fundamental problems in theoretical physics, including rendering electromagnetic asymmetry to energetically exclude magnetic monopoles, achieving finite electromagnetic energy to relegate curvature singularities of charged black holes, and providing theoretical interpretation of equations of state of cosmic fluids via k-essence cosmology. Also discussed are some nonlinear differential equation problems.

Hamiltonian birefringence and Born-Infeld limits

Using Hamiltonian methods, we find six relativistic theories of nonlinear electrodynamics for which plane wave perturbations about a constant uniform background are not birefringent. All have the same conformal strong-field limit to Bialynicki-Birula (BB) electrodynamics, but only four avoid superluminal propagation: Born-Infeld (BI), its non-conformal “extreme” limits (electric and magnetic) and the conformal BB limit. The quadratic dispersion relation of BI is shown to degenerate in the extreme limits to a pair of linear relations, which become identical in the BB limit.

Quantum field theory, worldline theory, and spin magnitude change in orbital evolution

A previous paper [Z. Bern , Binary dynamics through the fifth power of spin at O(G2), ] identified a puzzle stemming from the amplitudes-based approach to spinning bodies in general relativity: additional Wilson coefficients appear compared to current worldline approaches to conservative dynamics of generic astrophysical objects, including neutron stars. In this paper we clarify the nature of analogous Wilson coefficients in the simpler theory of electrodynamics. We analyze the original field-theory construction, identifying definite-spin states some of which have negative norms, and relating the additional Wilson coefficients in the classical theory to transitions between different quantum spin states. We produce a new version of the theory which also has additional Wilson coefficients, but no negative-norm states. We match, through O(α2) and O(S2), the Compton amplitudes of these field theories with those of a modified worldline theory with extra degrees of freedom introduced by releasing the spin supplementary condition. We build an effective two-body Hamiltonian that matches the impulse and spin kick of the modified field theory and of the worldline theory, displaying additional Wilson coefficients compared to standard worldline approaches. The results are then compactly expressed in terms of an eikonal formula. Our key conclusion is that, contrary to standard approaches, while the magnitude of the spin tensor is still conserved, the magnitude of the spin vector can change under conserved Hamiltonian dynamics and this change is governed by the additional Wilson coefficients. For specific values of Wilson coefficients the results are equivalent to those from a definite spin obeying the spin supplementary condition, but for generic values they are physically inequivalent. These results warrant detailed studies of the corresponding issues in general relativity. Published by the American Physical Society 2024