Pairwise mode entanglement in Schwinger production of particle-antiparticle pairs in an electric field

Abstract

Quantum entanglement is the characteristic quantum correlation. Here, we use this concept to analyze the quantum entanglement generated by Schwinger production of particle-antiparticle pairs in an electric field, as well as the change of entanglement as a consequence of the electric field effect on a pre-existing entangled pair of particles. The system is partitioned by using momentum modes. Various kinds of pairwise mode entanglement are calculated as functions of the electric field. Both constant and pulsed electric fields are considered. The use of entanglement exposes information beyond that in particle number distributions.