Lattice QCD with Strong External Electric Fields

We study particle generation by a strong electric field in lattice QCD. To avoid the sign problem of the Minkowskian electric field, we adopt the isospin electric charge. When a strong electric field is applied, the insulating vacuum is broken down and pairs of charged particles are produced by the Schwinger mechanism. The competition against the color confining force is also discussed. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.112001