Self-modulation of nonlinear light in vacuum enhanced by orbital angular momentum

Abstract

Nonlinear optical effects in vacuum have been investigated as a means to verify quantum electrodynamics in a region of low photon energy. By considering nonlinear electromagnetic waves in a three-dimensional cylindrical cavity, we report that the orbital angular momentum of light strongly affects self-modulations in a long timescale. The variation in optical phase is shown to enhance the vacuum nonlinearity. Moreover, we demonstrate the time evolution of the energy transfer between cavity modes and of the phase shift, paving new possibility for verification experiments.