diff --git a/src/models/physics_models/interface.jl b/src/models/physics_models/interface.jl
index 5654735..a345754 100644
--- a/src/models/physics_models/interface.jl
+++ b/src/models/physics_models/interface.jl
@@ -19,6 +19,17 @@ struct ParticleValue{ParticleType <: AbstractParticleStateful, ValueType}
     v::ValueType
 end
 
+"""
+TBW
+
+particle value + spin/pol info, only used on the external legs (u tasks)
+"""
+struct ParticleValueSP{ParticleType <: AbstractParticleStateful, SP <: AbstractSpinOrPolarization, ValueType}
+    p::ParticleType
+    v::ValueType
+    sp::SP
+end
+
 """
     AbstractProcessDescription <: AbstractProblemInstance
 
diff --git a/src/models/physics_models/qed/compute.jl b/src/models/physics_models/qed/compute.jl
index ce94d16..239c805 100644
--- a/src/models/physics_models/qed/compute.jl
+++ b/src/models/physics_models/qed/compute.jl
@@ -3,17 +3,24 @@ using StaticArrays
 function input_expr(name::String, psp::PhaseSpacePoint)
     (type, index) = type_index_from_name(QEDModel(), name)
 
-    return ParticleValue(type(momentum(psp, particle_direction(type), particle_species(type), index)), 0.0im)
+    return ParticleValueSP(
+        type(momentum(psp, particle_direction(type), particle_species(type), index)),
+        0.0im,
+        spin_or_pol(process(psp), type, index),
+    )
 end
 
 """
-    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_U, data::QEDParticleValue)
+    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_U, data::ParticleValueSP)
 
 Compute an outer edge. Return the particle value with the same particle and the value multiplied by an outer_edge factor.
 """
-function compute(::ComputeTaskQED_U, data::ParticleValue{P, V}) where {P <: ParticleStateful, V <: ValueType}
+function compute(
+    ::ComputeTaskQED_U,
+    data::ParticleValueSP{P, SP, V},
+) where {P <: ParticleStateful, V <: ValueType, SP <: AbstractSpinOrPolarization}
     part::P = data.p
-    state = base_state(particle_species(part), particle_direction(part), momentum(part), spin_or_pol(part))
+    state = base_state(particle_species(part), particle_direction(part), momentum(part), SP())
     return ParticleValue{P, typeof(state)}(
         data.p,
         state, # will return a SLorentzVector{ComplexF64}, BiSpinor or AdjointBiSpinor
@@ -21,7 +28,7 @@ function compute(::ComputeTaskQED_U, data::ParticleValue{P, V}) where {P <: Part
 end
 
 """
-    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_V, data1::QEDParticleValue, data2::QEDParticleValue)
+    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_V, data1::ParticleValue, data2::ParticleValue)
 
 Compute a vertex. Preserve momentum and particle types (e + gamma->p etc.) to create resulting particle, multiply values together and times a vertex factor.
 """
@@ -49,7 +56,7 @@ function compute(
 end
 
 """
-    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_S2, data1::QEDParticleValue, data2::QEDParticleValue)
+    compute(::ComputeTaskQED_S2, data1::ParticleValue, data2::ParticleValue)
 
 Compute a final inner edge (2 input particles, no output particle).
 
@@ -59,8 +66,8 @@ For valid inputs, both input particles should have the same momenta at this poin
 """
 function compute(
     ::ComputeTaskQED_S2,
-    data1::ParticleValue{ParticleStateful{D1, S1}, V1},
-    data2::ParticleValue{ParticleStateful{D2, S2}, V2},
+    data1::ParticleValue{P1, V1},
+    data2::ParticleValue{P2, V2},
 ) where {
     D1 <: ParticleDirection,
     D2 <: ParticleDirection,
@@ -68,6 +75,9 @@ function compute(
     S2 <: Union{Electron, Positron},
     V1 <: ValueType,
     V2 <: ValueType,
+    EL <: AbstractFourMomentum,
+    P1 <: ParticleStateful{D1, S1, EL},
+    P2 <: ParticleStateful{D2, S2, EL},
 }
     #@assert isapprox(data1.p.momentum, data2.p.momentum, rtol = sqrt(eps()), atol = sqrt(eps())) "$(data1.p.momentum) vs. $(data2.p.momentum)"
 
diff --git a/src/models/physics_models/qed/parse.jl b/src/models/physics_models/qed/parse.jl
index 31f2e85..7b8f6e0 100644
--- a/src/models/physics_models/qed/parse.jl
+++ b/src/models/physics_models/qed/parse.jl
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
 
+# TODO generalize this somehow, probably using AllSpin/AllPol as defaults
 """
     parse_process(string::AbstractString, model::QEDModel)
 
 Parse a string representation of a process, such as "ke->ke" into the corresponding [`QEDProcessDescription`](@ref).
 """
-function parse_process(str::AbstractString, model::QEDModel)
+function parse_process(
+    str::AbstractString,
+    model::QEDModel,
+    inphpol::AbstractDefinitePolarization,
+    inelspin::AbstractDefiniteSpin,
+    outphpol::AbstractDefinitePolarization,
+    outelspin::AbstractDefiniteSpin,
+)
     inParticles = Dict(
         ParticleStateful{Incoming, Photon, SFourMomentum} => 0,
         ParticleStateful{Incoming, Electron, SFourMomentum} => 0,
@@ -48,13 +56,14 @@ function parse_process(str::AbstractString, model::QEDModel)
         throw("Encountered unknown characters in the output part of process \"$str\"")
     end
 
+    in_ph = inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Photon, SFourMomentum}]
+    in_el = inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Electron, SFourMomentum}]
+    in_pos = inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Positron, SFourMomentum}]
+    out_ph = outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Photon, SFourMomentum}]
+    out_el = outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Electron, SFourMomentum}]
+    out_pos = outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Positron, SFourMomentum}]
+    in_spin_pols = tuple([i <= in_ph ? inphpol : inelspin for i in 1:(in_ph + in_el)]...)
+    out_spin_pols = tuple([i <= out_ph ? outphpol : outelspin for i in 1:(out_ph + out_el)]...)
 
-    return GenericQEDProcess(
-        inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Photon, SFourMomentum}],
-        outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Photon, SFourMomentum}],
-        inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Electron, SFourMomentum}],
-        outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Electron, SFourMomentum}],
-        inParticles[ParticleStateful{Incoming, Positron, SFourMomentum}],
-        outParticles[ParticleStateful{Outgoing, Positron, SFourMomentum}],
-    )
+    return GenericQEDProcess(in_ph, out_ph, in_el, out_el, in_pos, out_pos, in_spin_pols, out_spin_pols)
 end
diff --git a/src/models/physics_models/qed/particle.jl b/src/models/physics_models/qed/particle.jl
index f41fa8b..a21021e 100644
--- a/src/models/physics_models/qed/particle.jl
+++ b/src/models/physics_models/qed/particle.jl
@@ -25,29 +25,83 @@ _assert_particle_type_tuple(t::Tuple{AbstractParticleType, Vararg}) = _assert_pa
 _assert_particle_type_tuple(t::Any) =
     throw(InvalidInputError("invalid input, provide a tuple of AbstractParticleTypes to construct a GenericQEDProcess"))
 
-struct GenericQEDProcess{INT, OUTT} <: AbstractProcessDefinition where {INT <: Tuple, OUTT <: Tuple}
+struct GenericQEDProcess{INT, OUTT, INSP, OUTSP} <:
+       AbstractProcessDefinition where {INT <: Tuple, OUTT <: Tuple, INSP <: Tuple, OUTSP <: Tuple}
     incoming_particles::INT
     outgoing_particles::OUTT
 
-    function GenericQEDProcess(in_particles::INT, out_particles::OUTT) where {INT <: Tuple, OUTT <: Tuple}
+    incoming_spins_pols::INSP
+    outgoing_spins_pols::OUTSP
+
+    function GenericQEDProcess(
+        in_particles::INT,
+        out_particles::OUTT,
+        in_sp::INSP,
+        out_sp::OUTSP,
+    ) where {INT <: Tuple, OUTT <: Tuple, INSP <: Tuple, OUTSP <: Tuple}
         _assert_particle_type_tuple(in_particles)
         _assert_particle_type_tuple(out_particles)
 
-        return new{INT, OUTT}(in_particles, out_particles)
+        # TODO: check in_sp/out_sp fits to particles (spin->fermion, pol->photon)
+
+        return new{INT, OUTT, INSP, OUTSP}(in_particles, out_particles, in_sp, out_sp)
     end
 
     """
-        GenericQEDProcess(in_ph::Int, out_ph::Int, in_el::Int, out_el::Int, in_po::Int, out_po::Int)
+        GenericQEDProcess{INSP, OUTSP}(in_ph::Int, out_ph::Int, in_el::Int, out_el::Int, in_po::Int, out_po::Int, in_sp::INSP, out_sp::OUTSP)
 
     Convenience constructor from numbers of input/output photons, electrons and positrons.
+
+    `in_sp` and `out_sp` are tuples of the spin and polarization configurations of the given particles. Their order is Photons, then Electrons, then Positrons for both incoming and outgoing particles.
+
+    # TODO: make default for in_sp and out_sp available for convenience
     """
-    function GenericQEDProcess(in_ph::Int, out_ph::Int, in_el::Int, out_el::Int, in_po::Int, out_po::Int)
+    function GenericQEDProcess(
+        in_ph::Int,
+        out_ph::Int,
+        in_el::Int,
+        out_el::Int,
+        in_po::Int,
+        out_po::Int,
+        in_sp::INSP,
+        out_sp::OUTSP,
+    ) where {INSP <: Tuple, OUTSP <: Tuple}
         in_p = ntuple(i -> i <= in_ph ? Photon() : i <= in_ph + in_el ? Electron() : Positron(), in_ph + in_el + in_po)
         out_p = ntuple(
             i -> i <= out_ph ? Photon() : i <= out_ph + out_el ? Electron() : Positron(),
             out_ph + out_el + out_po,
         )
-        return GenericQEDProcess(in_p, out_p)
+        return GenericQEDProcess(in_p, out_p, in_sp, out_sp)
+    end
+end
+
+function spin_or_pol(
+    process::GenericQEDProcess,
+    type::Type{ParticleStateful{DIR, SPECIES, EL}},
+    n::Int,
+) where {DIR <: ParticleDirection, SPECIES <: AbstractParticleType, EL <: AbstractFourMomentum}
+    i = 0
+    c = n
+    for p in particles(process, DIR())
+        i += 1
+        if p == SPECIES()
+            c -= 1
+        end
+        if c == 0
+            break
+        end
+    end
+
+    if c != 0 || n <= 0
+        throw(InvalidInputError("could not get $n-th spin/pol of $(DIR()) $species, does not exist"))
+    end
+
+    if DIR <: Incoming
+        return process.incoming_spins_pols[i]
+    elseif DIR <: Outgoing
+        return process.outgoing_spins_pols[i]
+    else
+        throw(InvalidInputError("unknown direction $(DIR()) given"))
     end
 end