Sensors are measuring tools. In any measurement, we have at least two different kinds of interactants. We never know all there are to know about any one of these interactants and the interaction processes that are mostly invisible. Yet, our engineering innovation driven evolution is persisting for over five million years. It is then important to articulate explicitly our Interaction Process Mapping Thinking (IPM-T) that we keep applying in the real world without formally recognizing it. We present how the systematic application of IPM-T removes century old wave-particle duality by introducing a model of hybrid photon. It seamlessly bridges the quantum and the classical worlds. Photons are discrete energy packets only at the moment of emission; then they evolve diffractively and propagate as classical waves. Thus, "interference of a single indivisible photon" is only a non-causal assertion. We apply IPM-T to improve the photoelectric equation and we obtain Non-Interaction of Wave (NIW) amplitudes. Note that Huygens explicitly articulated NIW by postulating his "secondary spherical wavelets." Later Fresnel incorporated this postulate in the now famous Huygens- Fresnel (HF) diffraction integral. Most modern optical science and engineering are based upon propagating EM waves through optical devices and systems using this integral in some form or other. Maxwell’s wave equation accepts HF integral as its solution. Systematic application of IPM-T to our causal and working mathematical equations, along with NIW in interferometric experiments, reveal that Superposition Effects can emerge only when the interacting material dipoles respond, whether classically or quantum mechanically, to the joint stimulations due to all the simultaneously superposed waves. This indicates the non-causality of our belief that a single indivisible photon can interfere by itself. We would not have a causally evolving universe had any stable elementary particle were to change itself through selfinterference. Further, our working superposition equations always contain two or more terms representing two or more independently evolving entities. That is why we need physical instruments with two or more independent channels of propagation along with appropriately placed detectors to generate physical superposition effects. Nature does not violate causality. Otherwise, our causally framed equations would not have been working so elegantly.
Sensors are measuring tools. In any measurement, we have at least two different kinds of interactants. We never know all there are to know about any one of these interactants and the interaction processes that are mostly invisible. Yet, our engineering innovation driven evolution is persisting for over five million years. It is then important to articulate explicitly our Interaction Process Mapping Thinking (IPM-T) that we keep applying in the real world without formally recognizing it. We present how the systematic application of IPM-T removes century old wave-particle duality by introducing a model of hybrid photon. It seamlessly bridges the quantum and the classical worlds. Photons are discrete energy packets only at the moment of emission; then they evolve diffractively and propagate as classical waves. Thus, "interference of a single indivisible photon" is only a non-causal assertion. We apply IPM-T to improve the photoelectric equation and we obtain Non-Interaction of Wave (NIW) amplitudes. Note that Huygens explicitly articulated NIW by postulating his "secondary spherical wavelets." Later Fresnel incorporated this postulate in the now famous Huygens- Fresnel (HF) diffraction integral. Most modern optical science and engineering are based upon propagating EM waves through optical devices and systems using this integral in some form or other. Maxwell’s wave equation accepts HF integral as its solution. Systematic application of IPM-T to our causal and working mathematical equations, along with NIW in interferometric experiments, reveal that Superposition Effects can emerge only when the interacting material dipoles respond, whether classically or quantum mechanically, to the joint stimulations due to all the simultaneously superposed waves. This indicates the non-causality of our belief that a single indivisible photon can interfere by itself. We would not have a causally evolving universe had any stable elementary particle were to change itself through selfinterference. Further, our working superposition equations always contain two or more terms representing two or more independently evolving entities. That is why we need physical instruments with two or more independent channels of propagation along with appropriately placed detectors to generate physical superposition effects. Nature does not violate causality. Otherwise, our causally framed equations would not have been working so elegantly.
A Causal Photon Model for Optical Scientists & Engineers Causal Physics: Photons by Non Interactions of Waves redefines the mathematical Superposition Principle as an operational Superposition Effect; which is the measurable physical transformation experienced by a detector due to stimulations induced by multiple waves simultaneously acting on the detecting dipoles. This light-matter interaction process driven model emerges naturally by incorporating the observed properties, Non-Interaction of Waves (NIW) and quantized photo detectors needing to fill up their "quantum-cups" with the required quantity of energy from all the stimulating waves around it. By not incorporating this NIW-property explicitly, quantum mechanics failed to extract various embedded realities in the theory while incorporated unnecessary hypotheses like wave-particle duality. The book utilizes this NIW-property to explain all the major optical phenomena (diffraction, spectrometry, coherence.) without using any self-contradictory hypotheses that are prevalent now. An Unconventional Book for All Physicists The book redefines the old ether (constituting the space) as a stationary Complex Tension Field (CTF), holding all the energy of the universe (no need for Dark Energy of Dark Matter). CTF sustains perpetually propagating EM waves as its linear excitations and the particles as self-looped localized resonant non-linear excitations. Tensions are identified by Maxwell, then the velocities of emitting and detecting atoms through the CTF contribute to the Doppler shifts separately. This calls for re-visiting physical processes behind Hubble Redshift and hence Expanding Universe. Novel Strategy for All Critical Thinkers: Visualize the Invisibles The success of the book derives from a novel thinking strategy of visualizing the invisible interaction processes, named as Interaction Process Mapping Epistemology (IPM-E). This is over and above the prevailing strategy of Measurable Data Modeling Epistemology (MDM-E). The approach inspires the next generation of physicists to recognizing that the "foundation of the edifice of physics" has not yet been finalized. IPM-E will stimulate more of us to become technology innovators by learning to emulate the ontologically real physical processes in nature and become more evolution congruent. Critical thinkers without expertise in optical science and engineering, will appreciate the value of the content by reading the book backward, starting from Ch.12; which explains the critical thinking methodology besides giving a very brief summary of the contents in the previous chapters. Establishes that abandoning the wave-particle-duality actually allows us to extract more realities out of quantum mechanics. Illustrates how the discovery of the NIW-property profoundly impacts several branches of fundamental physics, including Doppler effect and hence the cosmological red shift Summarizes that many ad hoc hypotheses from physics can be removed, a la Occam’s razor, while improving the reality and comprehension of some of the current working theories Demonstrates that our persistent attempts to restore causality in physical theories will be guided by our capability to visualize the invisible light matter interaction processes that are behind the emergence of all measurable data Draws close attention to the invisible but ontological interaction processes behind various optical phenomena so we can emulate them more efficiently and knowledgably in spite of limitations of our theories Designed as a reference book for general physics and philosophy, this optical science and engineering book is an ideal resource for optical engineers, physicists, and those working with modern optical equipment and high precision instrumentation.
Based on attempts to resolve the problem of various self contradictory assumptions behind the prevailing belief on single photon interference, we have analyzed the process steps behind our experimental measurements and named the process as the Interaction Process Mapping Epistemology (IPM-E). This has helped us recognize that the quantum mechanical Measurement Problem has a much universal and deeper root in nature. Our scientific theorization process suffers from a Perpetual Information Challenge (PIC), which cannot be overcome by elegant and/or sophisticated mathematical theories alone. Iterative imaginative application of IPM-E needs to be used as a metaphorical analytical continuation to fill up the missing information gaps. IPM-E has also guided us to recognize the generic NIW-principle (Non-Interaction of Waves) in the linear domain, not explicitly recognized in current books and literature. Superposition effects become manifest through light-matter interactions. Detecting dipoles gets stimulated by multiple superposed beams; it sums the simultaneous multiple stimulations into a single resultant undulation, which then guides the resultant energy exchange. The consequent transformation in the detector corresponds to observed fringes. They neither represent interference of light; nor represent selective arrival or non-arrival of photons on the detector. Photons do not possess any force of mutual interaction to generate their redistribution. Implementation of IPM-E requires us to recognize our subjective interpretation propensity with which we are burdened due to our evolutionary successes.
Einstein’s 1905 paper on the photoelectric effect successfully modeled the published data while explicitly defining light as “indivisible light quanta”. One of the key successes of Quantum Mechanics (QM) of 1925-26, is the release of discrete packet of energy hv during any quantum level transitions in atoms and molecules. These two modern successes have overturned the mathematical and experimental knowledge developed over several centuries behind the optical science and engineering, without successfully bridging the knowledge gap epitomized by the still unresolved “wave-particle-duality” (WPD). Note that, optical science and engineering fields are still thriving using Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral (HF-DI) of 1817 and Maxwell’s wave equations of 1876, without any controversy. This chapter resolves this dichotomy by eliminating the need for WPD. We provide a model for the atomic emission as a discrete packet of energy hv, as required by QM, but which evolves and propagates out as a Maxwellian classical exponential wave packet, while diffractively spreading out obeying the HF-DI. The continuing need to accept the magical WPD arises because we have not been systematically and explicitly exploring the two-step physical processes which take place during light-detector interaction before the photoelectric data is generated by our apparatus. The two steps are: (i) Linear amplitude-amplitude stimulation induced on the detecting dipoles by the light wave vector; (ii) which is then followed by the quadratic energy absorption step by the detector. If the detector is an LCR oscillator (for radio waves), or an old fashioned Bolometer (for higher frequencies), we would not observe any quantumness in the data. But, when we use a modern quantum photodetector using higher frequency EM waves, we can count highly amplified current pulses of electrons, generated out of each one of the released electron, bound quantum mechanically inside the detector.
Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral is the foundation for optical science and engineering since 1817, including the mathematical improvements. This integral propagates Huygens’ individual secondary wavelets unperturbed through each other. Huygens postulated this Non-Interaction of Waves (NIW) in his 1690 book, Treatise on Light. Quantum Electrodynamics also indicates NIW since the computed photon-photon interaction cross-section is immeasurably small. The linear sum of complex amplitudes does not represent an observable phenomenon. Fringes represent the energy absorbed by a detector as the square modulus of the sum of amplitude stimulation experienced by it. The detectors’ intrinsic properties determine the observable fringes. Due to our neglect of Huygens’ NIW, we are carrying on erroneous interpretations for several major optical phenomena. Our proposed experiment-guided curriculum will rectify the confusions. The new book will be developed using the currently published reference book, “Causal Physics; Photon by Non-Interaction of Waves”, Taylor and Francis, 2014 [1].
In the domain of light emissions, quantum mechanics has been an immensely successful guiding tool for us. In the propagation of light and optical instrument design, Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral (HFDI) (or its advanced versions) and Maxwell’s wave equation are continuing to be the essential guiding tools for optical scientists and engineers. In fact, most branches of optical science and engineering, like optical instrument design, image processing, Fourier optics, Holography, etc., cannot exist without using the foundational postulates behind the Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral. Further, the field of structured light is also growing where phases and the state of polarizations are manipulated usually with suitable classical macro-devices to create wave fronts that restructured through light-matter interactions through these devices. Mathematical modeling of generating such complex wave fronts generally follows classical concepts and classical macro tools of physical optics. Some of these complex light beams can impart mechanical angular momentum and spin-like properties to material particles inserted inside these structured beams because of their electromagnetic dipolar properties and/or structural anisotropy. Does that mean these newly structured beams have acquired new quantum properties without being generated through quantum devices and quantum transitions? In this chapter, we bridge the classical and quantum formalism by defining a hybrid photon (HP). HP is a quantum of energy, hν, at the initial moment of emission. It then immediately evolves into a classical time-finite wave packet, still transporting the original energy, hν, with a classical carrier frequency ν (oscillation of the E-vector). This chapter will raise enquiring questions whether all these observed “quantum-like” behaviors are manifestations of the joint properties of interacting material particles with classical EM waves or are causal implications of the existence of propagation of “indivisible light quanta” with exotic properties like spin, angular momentum, etc.
Any superposition effect as measured (SEM) by us is the summation of simultaneous stimulations experienced by a detector due to the presence of multiple copies of a detectee each carrying different values of the same parameter. We discus the cases with light beams carrying same frequency for both diffraction and multiple beam Fabry-Perot interferometer and also a case where the two superposed light beams carry different frequencies. Our key argument is that if light really consists of indivisible elementary particle, photon, then it cannot by itself create superposition effect since the state vector of an elementary particle cannot carry more than one values of any parameter at the same time. Fortunately, semiclassical model explains all light induced interactions using quantized atoms and classical EM wave packet. Classical physics, with its deeper commitment to Reality Ontology, was better prepared to nurture the emergence of Quantum Mechanics and still can provide guidance to explore nature deeper if we pay careful attention to successful classical formulations like Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral.