As an important QED effect to detect the vacuum polarization, birefringence in the presence of a strong electric and magnetic field, E0⊥ B0, E0≤ c B0, is considered. The directional dependence of birefringence is ob...As an important QED effect to detect the vacuum polarization, birefringence in the presence of a strong electric and magnetic field, E0⊥ B0, E0≤ c B0, is considered. The directional dependence of birefringence is obtained. In two special cases： E0= 0 and E0= c B0, our results are consistent with the previous ones. The refractive index of the probe wave propagating in the -E0× B0 direction decreases with E0/c B0, while that in the-E0× B0 direction increases with E0/c B0.The physics of the direction dependence of birefringence maybe the E0× B0 drift velocity of the virtual electrons and positrons.展开更多
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB808104)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11105233)
文摘As an important QED effect to detect the vacuum polarization, birefringence in the presence of a strong electric and magnetic field, E0⊥ B0, E0≤ c B0, is considered. The directional dependence of birefringence is obtained. In two special cases： E0= 0 and E0= c B0, our results are consistent with the previous ones. The refractive index of the probe wave propagating in the -E0× B0 direction decreases with E0/c B0, while that in the-E0× B0 direction increases with E0/c B0.The physics of the direction dependence of birefringence maybe the E0× B0 drift velocity of the virtual electrons and positrons.
