Quantum simulator for the Schwinger effect with atoms in bi-chromatic   optical lattices
  Ultra-cold atoms in specifically designed optical lattices can be used to mimic the many-particle Hamiltonian describing electrons and positrons in an external electric field. This facilitates the experimental simulation of (so far unobserved) fundamental quantum phenomena such as the Schwinger effect, i.e., spontaneous electron-positron pair creation out of the vacuum by a strong electric field. 
Nikodem Szpak and Ralf Sch\"utzhold
quant-ph cond-mat.quant-gas