Advanced Topics in AMO Physics

This course will develop the subject of Strong-Field QED. Topics to be covered include: The structure of the quantum vacuum;relativistic laser-vacuum interactions;linear and non-linear Compton and Breit-Wheeler pair-production processes;vacuum polarization and vacuum tunneling; the radiation reaction problem in strong fields;applications in astrophysics and cosmology. The course will also cover experimental methods, including petawatt lasers with focused intensities sufficient to destabilize the vacuum. Prerequisites: familiarity with quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, and special relativity.