Regularized Compton double scattering via unitarity

Abstract

When two initially entangled photons each undergo Compton scattering, the scattered electrons become correlated. However, the final reduced density matrix of one scattered pair is not influenced by the other scattered pair due to unitarity. Herein, we keep unitarity up to tree level for Compton double scattering and obtain different results than recent literature. The initial four particles, where the initial photons are entangled, are written as a superposition of two states with a relative phase. The final density matrix has two area divergences that are regularized with unitarity. The regularization procedure, i.e. solving for the roots of a polynomial that represents the probability for no scattering, suggests a novel definition of the scattering cross-section. Vieta's formulas relate these divergences to finite cross-sections. For an initial pure state, the formulas for the final density matrix and the correlation of final electronic polarizations are given. The correlation implies double scattering is analogous to Young's diffraction experiment. The two initial superposed states are the circular apertures while the Feynman amplitudes are the interfering complex light fields.