Quantum non-linear effects in colliding light beams and interferometers

Abstract

Small corrections to the electromagnetic field in colliding light beams are evaluated taking into account the interaction of light with the quantum vacuum, as predicted by quantum electrodynamics. The nonlinear formulation of McKenna and Platzman (1963) is used. Possible implications for very energetic light beams and the radiation pressure in interferometers (e.g., gravitational waves detector) are considered. It is also shown that a head-on collision produces secondary waves along conical directions at angles arccos ( 1 / 3 ) .