Lepton Flavor Violating Photoleptonic Effect

Abstract

We study lepton flavor violating analogs of the photoelectric effect, with a final $\mu$ or $\tau$ instead of an electron: $\gamma e\to \mu$ and $\gamma e\to \tau$. On the basis of the general parametrization of the matrix element of the electromagnetic current we estimate the upper limits for the cross sections and event rates of these processes, imposed by the current experimental bounds on $\mu\to e \gamma$ and $\tau\to e \gamma$ decays.