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Are There Photons? - Heterodyning Ultra Low Intensity Electromagnetic Fields

André Malz

Published Mar 28, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In exploring the true essence of electromagnetic fields, heterodyning emerges as superior to traditional detection methods. Within heterodyning, a segment of the signal operates independently of field-matter interaction, relying solely on field-field interaction. Consequently, this approach facilitates the statistical elimination of detector influence. Analysis of the gathered data unveils energy levels comparable to those of a few photons, which are fractional and may even descend below the threshold of a single photon, thus evading any quantization effects. This unequivocally falsifies the concept of photons.

DOI
10.31224/3639

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In exploring the true essence of electromagnetic fields, heterodyning emerges as superior to traditional detection methods. Within heterodyning, a segment of the signal operates independently of field-matter interaction, relying solely on field-field interaction. Consequently, this approach facilitates the statistical elimination of detector influence. Analysis of the gathered data unveils energy levels comparable to those of a few photons, which are fractional and may even descend below the threshold of a single photon, thus evading any quantization effects. This unequivocally falsifies the concept of photons.
This article presents a comprehensive study that furnishes compelling evidence bolstering the notion of electromagnetic field continuity, accomplished through the implementation of a self-heterodyne measurement technique.The primary objective was to investigate the detection method of FMCW for extremely weak signals, reaching energy levels akin to photons.Through thorough examination, significant contradictions emerged, favoring classical field theory and challenging the notion of electromagnetic field quantization.To strengthen this claim, a carefully designed experiment was conducted to measure sub-photon energy levels.The comprehensive analysis of both theoretical insights and experimental data presents compelling evidence, demonstrating the untenability of a quantized model for the electromagnetic field.These findings have profound implications for understanding the continuity of the electromagnetic field, prompting further exploration in this field of research.
Single-photon interference experiments are attempted in the time domain using true single-photon streams. Self-heterodyning beats are clearly observed by letting the field associated with a single photon interfere with itself on a field-quadratic detector, which is a time analogue of Young's two-slit interference experiment. The temporal first-order coherence of single-photon fields, i.e., transient interference fringes, develops as cumulative detection events are mapped point-by-point onto a virtual capture frame by properly correlating the time-series data. The ability to single out photon counts at a designated timing paves the way for digital heterodyning with faint light for such use as phase measurement and quantum information processing.
Photon heterodyning affords the opportunity to single out photon detection events at a designated timing in the otherwise elusive transient interference fringes of single photons. Albeit essentially a time-domain analogue of Young's two-slit interference experiment at a single-photon level, it must be borne out by experiment using true single-photon streams. More importantly, it presents a technical challenge even without a tangible screen unlike space domain. Here, we demonstrate single-photon self-heterodyne beats that are obtained by letting the nonclassical light field associated with a photon interfere with itself. This is made possible by splitting, folding and mapping point-by-point the otherwise only poorly correlated time-series data onto a virtual capture frame. Photon heterodyning is of significance in view of conceivable applications. In fact, it marks a great step forward in benefiting such applications that handle interfering light fields in the time domain. An unmatched immunity to dc noise at an extremely low light level opens up the avenue for single-photon interferometry and interferometric biometrics of a highly light-sensitive target. Super-resolution and quantum optical coherence tomography, which are based on the nonclassical nature of photons, are those which should take full advantage of the photon heterodyning technology. On the other hand, the potential of photon heterodyning is most likely to be manifest in the field of quantum information processing by implementing frequency-encoded photon states. Some of these examples will be discussed in more detail.
Photons and electrons One of the great technical achievements of the second half of the 20th century was the invention of the laser. With its help extremely intense light could be produced. Furthermore, it even became posssible to excite a single resonator mode so that both the frequency and the propagation direction of the emitted radiation field are extraordinarily sharp. The mere existence of such high-intensity single-mode fields – the real problem that was ingeniously solved was to generate them – is no matter of surprise. We know from classical electromagnetic theory that the amplitude of a monochromatic electromagnetic field can take on arbitrarily large values. This is a direct consequence of the linearity of Maxwell's equations. What does this mean for quantized radiation fields? Certainly, the mentioned property of classical fields must also be retained in the quantum mechanical description. Since the electromagnetic energy is quantized in ‘packets’ of magnitude h ν (photons), the number of photons in a given mode must be unlimited, in principle. All this is very well known. However, it becomes noteworthy when we compare the behaviour of photons with that of electrons. Amazingly, it turns out that an electronic quantum state can be occupied by one electron, at maximum. (Strictly speaking, in the description of the electronic state the spin variable must be included.) This drastic difference in the collective behaviour of photons and electrons could, in fact, not be expected from what we know from single photons and electrons. Both of them have particle-like as well as wave-like properties. However, when many of them are present, they exhibit quite different a demeanour.
In this introductory chapter we focus on the interaction of optical fields with matter because it forms the basis of signal amplification in all optical amplifiers. According to our present understanding, optical fields are made of photons with properties precisely described by the laws of quantum field theory [1]. One consequence of this wave–particle duality is that optical fields can be described, in certain cases, as electromagnetic waves using Maxwell's equations and, in other cases, as a stream of massless particles (photons) such that each photon contains an energy h ν, where h is the Planck constant and ν, is the frequency of the optical field. In the case of monochromatic light, it is easy to relate the number of photons contained in an electromagnetic field to its associated energy density. However, this becomes difficult for optical fields that have broad spectral features, unless full statistical features of the signal are known [2]. Fortunately, in most cases that we deal with, such a detailed knowledge of photon statistics is not necessary or even required [3, 4]. Both the linear and the nonlinear optical studies carried out during the last century have shown us convincingly that a theoretical understanding of experimental observations can be gained just by using wave features of the optical fields if they are intense enough to contain more than a few photons [5]. It is this semiclassical approach that we adopt in this book. In cases where such a description is not adequate, one could supplement the wave picture with a quantum description.