Muons are unstable subatomic particles that spontaneously and rapidly transform into other particles via a process known as electroweak decay. Altering the speed with which muons decay into other particles was so far deemed a challenging quest, requiring very strong electromagnetic fields that cannot be produced in conventional laboratory settings.

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Researchers at the University of Plymouth demonstrated that muon decay can be manipulated using short laser pulses with far weaker intensities than previously thought necessary. By modeling finite-length laser pulses instead of infinitely extended ones, they discovered quantum interference between vacuum decay and laser-dependent decay channels that could potentially double muon lifetimes. This breakthrough could enable proof-of-principle experiments in existing facilities and has implications for fundamental physics research, including muon colliders and muon-catalyzed fusion.

Slowing down muon decay with short laser pulses

A strategy to manipulate electroweak processes with lasers