Recent Developments in Schwinger Pair Production
Prof. Holger Gies (Universität Jena)

Electron-positron pair production in strong fields is a paradigmatic effect that had been predicted already in the very early days of quantum field theory. Upcoming high-intensity laser facilities may have the potential to observe this phenomenon for the first time. From a theoretical perspective, a comprehensive understanding of this effect is challenging, as it involves nonperturbative, nonlocal and nonequilibrium aspects of field theory. This talk summarizes recent theoretical developments aiming at qualitatively new aspects as well as quantitative predictions for future experiments.