The quantum electrodynamical process of vacuum pair production in the
presence of a focused laser field is investigated. A coherent states p
icture of the electromagnetic field in the focal region is developed w
hich facilitates its inclusion into perturbative S-matrix quantum elec
trodynamics. The lowest order differential transition rate with respec
t to the direction of the newly created positron is presented for a nu
mber of scattering geometries. It is found that with current technolog
ical trends such an event should be detectable in the not too distant
future.