This paper extends and generalizes the principle of Non-Interference of Light (NIL) to diffracted secondary wavelets. In a previous series of papers we have demonstrated the NIL principle for well defined superposed light beams, which experience negligible diffracted spreading within the interferometers being used. NIL is consistent with quantum physics where emitted photons from material dipoles are considered non-interacting Bosons. Our NIL principle describes the formation of fringes (energy re-distribution) as patterned energy absorptions or scattering by "local" material dipoles proportional to the square modulus of the sum of all the superposed stimulating fields experienced by the dipoles.
This paper extends and generalizes the principle of Non-Interference of Light (NIL) to diffracted secondary wavelets. In a previous series of papers we have demonstrated the NIL principle for well defined superposed light beams, which experience negligible diffracted spreading within the interferometers being used. NIL is consistent with quantum physics where emitted photons from material dipoles are considered non-interacting Bosons. Our NIL principle describes the formation of fringes (energy re-distribution) as patterned energy absorptions or scattering by "local" material dipoles proportional to the square modulus of the sum of all the superposed stimulating fields experienced by the dipoles.
The interpretation of the detection of very slow rate of photo counts in interference and diffraction experiments have given rise to the prevailing interpretation that photons interfere by themselves and they are indivisible, albeit non-local. The purpose of this paper is to inspire the development of alternate models for the photons by underscoring that, in reality, light does not interfere with light. The effects of superposition, registered as interference fringes, can become manifest only when a suitable detector can respond simultaneously to all the superposed light beams separately arriving from all the paths (or, slits). It should be a strictly causal process. In fact, different detectors with different quantum properties, report different results while exposed to the same superposed fields. Interference and diffraction effects are always observed as fringes through the processes of re-distribution and/or re-direction of the measured energy of the superimposed fields. Accordingly, we present a number of experiments, actual and conceptual, which highlight the contradictions built into the notion of non-locality in interference. A closer examination of these experiments can guide us to develop a conceptually congruent and causal model for both the evolution of photons and the interference (diffraction) effects by adapting to the classical diffraction theory. This theory has been correctly predicting the characteristics of light whether it is star light propagating through the inter galactic space, or nano tip generated light propagating through complex nano photonic waveguides.
The physical interaction processes behind the emergence of dark and bright fringes registered by the detectors at the output of optical interferometers is explained. This knowledge should be helpful to interferometrists to make better physical interpretations of their data. The belief in mysterious “interference of single indivisible photon” will disappear once we recognize that the spatial or temporal energy re-distributions are generated by the physical transformation experienced by the detecting molecules drawing energy from all the light beams. The molecules could be photodetectors at the interferometer output, or the beam combining dielectric boundary. The superposition principle (SP), represented by the linear mathematical sum of two or more wave amplitudes, does not represent an observable phenomenon. The superposition effect (SE), represented by the non-linear square modulus of the joint dipolar stimulation of the detectors by all the superposed waves, is observable. We present two laboratory experiments to clarify these points. Both classical beam combiners and quantum detectors are capable of generating superposition fringes of intensity variations. The logic of “quantumness” of light is narrowly relevant only when a quantum detector deciphers the fringes; it is not valid for classical beam combiners. We will also discuss “entanglement” based on these experiments.
Non-interaction of waves (NIW) in the linear domain is an unappreciated but general principle of nature. Explicit recognition of this NIW-principle will add renewed momentum to the progress of fundamental physics and related technologies like spectrometry, coherence, polarizations, laser mode-locking, etc. This principle helps us appreciate that the mathematical correctness of a theorem and its capability to predict certain groups of measured data, do not necessarily imply that the theorem is always capable of mapping real interaction processes in nature. The time-frequency Fourier theorem (TF-FT) is an example since superposed light beams, by themselves, cannot reorganize or sum their energies. Quantum Mechanics (QM) correctly discovered that photons (light beams) are non-interacting bosons. Yet, to accommodate (i) the classical belief that light beams interfere (interact) by themselves, and (ii) Einstein's heuristic hypothesis that discrete packets of energy emitted by molecules travel as indivisible quanta (contradicting spontaneous diffractive spreading), QM has been forced to hypothesize that a photon interferes only with itself. In reality, it is the quantized detecting material media that make the superposition effects become manifest as their physical transformations, from bound electrons to released photoelectrons, after absorbing energy from all the beams due to induced simultaneous stimulations by the beams.
The intention of this paper is to underscore that to understand fundamentally new properties of light beams, we must first find the limits of semi classical model to explain optical interference phenomena. We claim that we have not yet reached that limit. Careful analysis of the processes behind detecting fringes indicate that the effect of superposition of multiple optical beams can become manifest only through the mediation of the detecting dipoles. Since the detectors are quantum mechanical, (i) the observed effects are different for different detectors for the same superposed light beams, and further, (ii) they are only capable of registering discrete number of "clicks", whose rate will vary with the incident intensity. A reduced rate of "clicks" at very low intensity does not prove that light consists of indivisible packets of energy. We have also experimentally demonstrated that (i) neither Fourier synthesis, nor, (ii) Fourier decomposition actually model the behavior of EM fields under all possible circumstances. Superposed light beams of different frequencies do not synthesize a new average optical frequency. A pure amplitude modulated pulse does not contain any of the mathematical, Fourier analyzed frequencies. The QED definition of photon being a Fourier mode in the vacuum, it necessarily becomes non-local. Since we have demonstrated that the Fourier theorem has various limitations in classical physics, its indiscriminate use in quantum mechanics should also be critically reviewed.
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].
We experimentally show novel phenomena: (1) in the same double slit or cross double slit experiment, within macroscopic distances from diaphragm, the patterns are non-interference and gradually evolve to the interference patterns near/on the screen; (2) in the same single slit or cross single slit experiment, within macroscopic distances from diaphragm, the patterns are non-diffraction and gradually evolve to the diffraction patterns near/on the screen; (3) in the same non-parallel-two-slits experiment, within macroscopic distances from diaphragm, the patterns are non-diffraction and gradually evolve to the diffraction-interference-hybrid patterns; (4) the diffraction-interference-hybrid patterns depend on the angle between two slits. Those novel phenomena: (1) challenge the conventional light wave interpretations of the physical optics, the electromagnetic wave and the quantum probability waves, namely, those interpretations are incomplete; (2) challenging Bohr’s complementarity principle and the wave-particle duality; (3) suggest that it is the photon-photon interaction, instead of the wave-wave interference, that produces the phenomena. To interpret consistently above phenomena is the challenge and demands new theory.