Laser Irradiated Enhancement of the Atomic Electron Capture Rate in search of New Physics

Electron capture processes are important in the search for new physics. In this context, a high capture rate is desired. We investigate the possibility of enhancing the electron capture rate by irradiating laser beam to ‘‘atom’’. The possibility of such enhancement can be understood as a consequence of an enhancement of the electron wave function at the origin, $\mathrm{\Psi }(0)$, through an increased effective mass of the electron. We find that an order of magnitude enhancement can be realized by using a laser with intensity on the order of ${10}^{10}$ W/mm${}^2$ and a photon energy on the order of ${10}^{-3}$ eV.