Quantum radiation by electrons in lasers and the Unruh effect

Abstract

In addition to the Larmor radiation known from classical electrodynamics, electrons in a laser field may emit pairs of entangled photons -- which is a pure quantum effect. We investigate this quantum effect and discuss why it is suppressed in comparison with the classical Larmor radiation (which is just Thomson backscattering of the laser photons). Further, we provide an intuitive explanation of this process (in a simplified setting) in terms of the Unruh effect.