Light - the physicists' problem. The nature of light was the subject \nof such controversy ever since two schools of thought - one led by Newton, \nthe other by Huyghens - had proposed two different viewpoints of the nature \nof light. Newton viewed light as a stream of discrete particles while Huyghens \nmaintained that light was a form of wave-motion. As any O-level student \nknows, experimentation involving wave-properties such as diffraction (the \nfamous Young's slits experiments) eventually proved as correct Huyghens' \nidea of light as waves passing through a continium, which was eventually shown \nto be space itself by the Scot, James Clerk-MaxwelI in his work on electromagnetic \nradiation. By the end of the 19th Century, it seemed that light presented no problem. Light was waves.
Light - the physicists' problem. The nature of light was the subject \nof such controversy ever since two schools of thought - one led by Newton, \nthe other by Huyghens - had proposed two different viewpoints of the nature \nof light. Newton viewed light as a stream of discrete particles while Huyghens \nmaintained that light was a form of wave-motion. As any O-level student \nknows, experimentation involving wave-properties such as diffraction (the \nfamous Young's slits experiments) eventually proved as correct Huyghens' \nidea of light as waves passing through a continium, which was eventually shown \nto be space itself by the Scot, James Clerk-MaxwelI in his work on electromagnetic \nradiation. By the end of the 19th Century, it seemed that light presented no problem. Light was waves.
For all practical purposes the wave theory of light is a certainty. This is the story of a radical change in humans' concept of light. In 1896 most physicists were convinced that light consisted of wave disturbances in a medium, the electromagnetic aether. The energy transported in radiation was thought to propagate spherically outward from its source and to spread out over successively larger volumes in space. Thirty years later, a remarkably different concept of light prevailed. Physicists then took seriously the evidence collected over the preceding two decades showing that the energy of radiation does not spread in space. Under certain conditions, light behaves like a stream of particles. Our subject is more than the story of a shift from one theoretical explanation of radiation to another. This reconsideration of the nature of light was a significant event in our scientific understanding of the world. To resolve the paradox that faced them, physicists rejected the venerable Platonic dictum that the microscopic realm recapitulates the macroscopic; that laws generalized from the behavior of objects in the perceivable world may be applied to the imperceivable one. By 1927 physicists had assigned to all forms of radiation a curious amalgam of wave and particle behavior. Waves spread energy over larger and larger volumes of space; particles do not. Reconciliation of these conflicting properties was possible only through appeal to an ontology that transcended mechanical incompatibility. Nature was declared to be only imperfectly rationalizable in terms of human experience with macroscopic interactions. The programmatic goal formulated in the seventeenth century to reduce all physical phenomena to consistent mechanical representations was here recognized to be unattainable.
The long history of the dispute among physicists as to whether matter is composed of particles or waves is reviewed. A turning point came at the dawn of the 20th century in the form of the de Broglie momentum-wavelength and Bohr/Planck energy frequency relations. It was on this basis that Schrödinger developed a quantum mechanical differential equation whose solution came to be known as a wave function. The Born Interpretation of these functions holds that their absolute square constitutes a probability distribution which has been used successfully to make predictions of the properties of the system under discussion. It is pointed out that the phenomenon of light refraction played a key role in the development of both Newton’s corpuscular theory of light and the competing theory of Huygens which looks upon light as consisting exclusively of waves. It is shown that Newton’s failure to predict the decrease in the speed of light as it passes from air into water was not because of his belief in the particle composition of light, but rather because he not did anticipate that the mass of a photon changes upon entering a medium of higher index of refraction n. By assuming that the energy E of light is equal pc/n, where p is the momentum of the photons and c is the speed of light in free space, it is shown that the experimental dependence of the speed the light on its wavelength as it passes through a transparent medium is derived successfully through the use of Hamilton’s Canonical Equations and Newton’s Second Law of Kinetics. It is suggested that the relationship between particles and waves can be understood by noting that the localized properties of matter exhibit themselves in experiments such as the photoelectric effect where attention can be concentrated on the behavior of a single particle. The corresponding wave properties occur when large numbers of particles are observed under exactly similar circumstances, as for example in electron diffraction. ...........
Scientific inquiry took millennia to ascertain the true nature of light, and it is not possible here to attempt to recapitulate all of the philosophizing, hypotheses, arguments, and experimentation involved in that great debate. The main point of controversy was whether light should be considered as a particle or as a wave. Empedocles of Acragas (492–432 b.c.e .) was of the opinion that light is a “streaming substance” emitted by luminous bodies, and that light travels at a finite speed ( Sambursky, 1958 ). In the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton postulated that light is composed of particles and that color is connected with the size of those particles; however, his contemporary Christiaan Huygens argued that light is a wave that transfers energy but not substance ( Einstein & Infeld, 1966 , p. 105ff). It turns out that light is indeed a wave propagating via electric and magnetic fields, but in addition to exhibiting properties of waves (such as interference) it also exhibits properties of particles (such as momentum and localization). When treating light as particles, the individual quanta are called photons .
In the process of exploring the essence of light, Newton initially agreed with the particle interpretation of light while Huygens argued for the wave theory. Hence, these two theories had been disputed in Newton's time. In the beginning people accepted the particle theory, but after Thomas Young's experiment and Augustin Jean Fresnel's experiment, people began to accept the wave theory. Until Einstein proposed the quanta concept, which was later called photon, and, even later, De Broglie proposed the wave nature of matter, subsequently, people began using particle-wave duality to explicate all phenomena in micro world. Thus here appears a paradox: how can one particle exist in two forms? To solve this enigma, I have done some experiments; discover that moving photons create force; this effect reveal the phenomenon of light wave property - the inference fringes is caused by force which moving photons produced. The essence of light is particle but not particle-wave duality.
In the process of exploring the essence of light, Newton initially agreed with the particle interpretation of light while Huygens argued for the wave theory. Hence, these two theories had been disputed in Newton’s time. In the beginning people accepted the particle theory, but after Thomas Young’s experiment and Augustin Jean Fresnel’s experiment, people began to accept the wave theory. Until Einstein proposed the quanta concept, which was later called photon, and, even later, De Broglie proposed the wave nature of matter, subsequently, people began using particle-wave duality to explicate all phenomena in micro world. Thus here appears a paradox: how can one particle exist in two forms? To solve this enigma, I have done some experiments; discover that moving photons create force; this effect reveal the phenomenon of light wave property - the inference fringes is caused by force which moving photons produced. The essence of light is particle but not particle-wave duality.
In the mid-18th century, Isaac Newton regarded light as some extremely small particles. Based on this, Newton established the particle theory of light. In the mid-19th century, Huygens and Augustine Jean Fresnel conducted extensive research on light and concluded that light is a wave. Afterwards, Maxwell proposed the theory of electromagnetism. Maxwell believed that light is a wave with a wavelength within a limited range. With the establishment of Maxwell's equation electromagnetic wave theory, the wave nature of light began to dominate the mainstream consciousness; However, in the late 19th century, a series of experimental phenomena represented by the photoelectric effect could not be accurately explained by the wave theory of light. In 1905, Einstein proposed the concept of light quanta and successfully explained the photoelectric effect. While perfectly explaining these issues, a new question arises: what is the essence of light, given that both particle and wave properties can accurately reflect certain properties of light? It has always been the most fiercely debated issue in the history of optics. Einstein said that we are not yet clear about what light quanta are, and wave particle duality cannot fully explain optical phenomena. Based on the study of Albert Einstein's concept of quanta light, wave particle duality of light, string theory, and optical frequency combs, the author proposes the concept of lightstring, attempting to propose new ideas for studying the essence of light and its generation mechanism. Siwen Bi has been researching quantum remote sensing since March 2000 and quantum spectral imaging since June 2003, but has encountered some difficulties and problems. What is the basic theory of passive imaging in quantum remote sensing? How is technology implemented? What is the fundamental theory of quantum spectroscopy? The Implementation Technology of Quantum Optical Field Entangled States in Long Distance Quantum Detection Process? These difficulties and questions prompt the author of this article to contemplate and study the essence of light? What is the fundamental theory of the future technology of quantum optics? Siwen Bi conducted exploratory research on the nature of light in 2006. This article first provides an overview of the development history and research status of optics and describes the difficulties and shortcomings in fully explaining optical phenomena due to the wave particle duality of light quantum and light; Then, two inspiring viewpoints on optical frequency comb and chord theory were introduced. On this basis, the basic concept of optical string (optical frequency string), the prototype description of optical string, the mechanism of optical string generation, and the discussion of Lightstring, generation process are proposed and emphasized; Proposed the mechanism of string light effect. Published On Two Heuristic Viewpoints Concerning the Study of Light (October 13-15, 2014), New Viewpoints In Light Quantum Research: Lightstring (2016), Discuss wave-particle duality of light, (February 28, 2017), and an Exploratory research on the light quantum future technical basis (February 1, 2019). Over the past 17 years, achieved some original and innovative research results. some original innovative research achievements have been achieved. Received high praise from international scholars and professors, such as the American Journal of Physics and Applications, which sent me a congratulatory letter saying, "Dear Bi Siwen, Warmest greeting from the Editorial Department! It is reported that at the International conference on photo and optical Engineering (ICPOE 2014), a paper entitled" Two Enlightening Views on Optical Research "was published, and the theme of the paper impressed us deeply. It has attracted the attention of Photon researchers and Scholars ...Your research is highly appreciated by us … " And invite Professor Bi Siwen as a paper reviewer for the American Journal of Physics and Applications. I have received the paper review certificate, dated May 25th, 2018. Based on the above research, Siwen Bi elaborated on the geometric and kinematic characteristics of Lightstring, and proposed the essence of light based on the concept of Lightstring, in order to concretize the concept of light quanta. On this basis, the mechanism of string light effect based on the concept of optical string is proposed. An attempt has been made to further study the quantum and wave particle duality of light, gain a profound understanding of the nature of light, and answer the question "What is light?" by proposing a new approach and method for studying the nature of light and its generation mechanism. Proposed a study on optical quantum; The wave particle duality of light; New ideas, methods, and perspectives on the mechanism of light generation.