Vortex state properties in multiphoton scalar pair production

The vortex state properties of a pair of scalar particles produced in a strong circularly polarized electromagnetic standing wave field are investigated under the dipole approximation in the multiphoton regime. We find that vortex orientation is related to the intrinsic orbital angular momentum of created particles associating with the helicity of absorbed photons, while the magnitude of the orbital angular momentum, i.e., the topology charge, is determined by the number of absorbed photons. Moreover, the properties of particle creation and vortices formation can be understood by analyzing the pair production process in quasiparticle representation. This study provides new insights into the angular momentum transfer from field to particle in the scalar pair production process in vacuum. It is expected that there are similar findings about vortex features for different spin alignment in electron-positron pair production in strong fields via the topology charge as a new freedom. Published by the American Physical Society 2025