ABSTRACT In this study, we propose a formula to characterize the mechanical properties of microscopic particles from the particle‐wave interaction perspective, defining the corresponding interaction as a velocity‐perpendicular interaction force. Traditional single‐slit diffraction is mainly explained by wave theory and the Huygens–Fresnel principle. However, the single‐photon momentum recoil in diffraction suggests that it is feasible to decouple the particle and wave natures of both photons and the slit, thereby exploring the interaction force between them in depth. We find that photons at different positions inside the slit experience velocity‐perpendicular interaction force, leading to net interaction time differences related to their distances to the slit edges. Based on wave‐particle duality, the modulation quantity formed by the interaction force, net interaction time, slit scale, and Planck constant exerts an on‐off modulation effect. Within this model, photons form clear diffraction fringes, which are rigorously verified to be fully consistent with the Huygens–Fresnel principle. This work provides a dynamical reinterpretation of single‐slit diffraction and establishes a mechanical framework for quantitatively describing quantum phenomena involving particle‐wave interaction.
ABSTRACT In this study, we propose a formula to characterize the mechanical properties of microscopic particles from the particle‐wave interaction perspective, defining the corresponding interaction as a velocity‐perpendicular interaction force. Traditional single‐slit diffraction is mainly explained by wave theory and the Huygens–Fresnel principle. However, the single‐photon momentum recoil in diffraction suggests that it is feasible to decouple the particle and wave natures of both photons and the slit, thereby exploring the interaction force between them in depth. We find that photons at different positions inside the slit experience velocity‐perpendicular interaction force, leading to net interaction time differences related to their distances to the slit edges. Based on wave‐particle duality, the modulation quantity formed by the interaction force, net interaction time, slit scale, and Planck constant exerts an on‐off modulation effect. Within this model, photons form clear diffraction fringes, which are rigorously verified to be fully consistent with the Huygens–Fresnel principle. This work provides a dynamical reinterpretation of single‐slit diffraction and establishes a mechanical framework for quantitatively describing quantum phenomena involving particle‐wave interaction.
Starting from the circular aperture diffraction experiment, this paper decomposes the intrinsic interactions underlying wave–particle duality and proposes a specific interaction force: the velocity-perpendicular interaction force. We derive the characterization formula of this force and show that it can induce the phenomenon of circular aperture diffraction of light, with the theoretical results being highly consistent with those calculated by the Huygens–Fresnel principle. The direction of this force is perpendicular to the relative velocity, originating from the coupling effect between the wave nature of light and the particle nature of the circular aperture structure, and it satisfies a modified inverse square law of distance related to the relative velocity. When photons pass through different positions of the circular aperture, the symmetry effect generates a net interaction time. The product of the main component of this force, the net interaction time, and the radius of the circular aperture constitutes a modulation quantity (a ratio of the Planck’s constant), which exerts an on–off modulation effect on the interaction force, thereby inducing the emergence of annular diffraction fringes. This study provides a novel physical interpretation for the circular aperture diffraction of light from the perspective of interaction forces and clarifies the possible existence form of wave–matter interaction forces. This force formula is expected to effectively describe the behavior of microscopic particles, just like the Schrödinger equation, while providing a brand-new perspective on interactions. It holds great application prospects in fields such as single-photon manipulation and quantum precision measurement.
Since the establishment of modern optics, the physical nature of light has been debated for centuries, which finally led to the mainstream theory of waveparticle duality. This theory holds that photons intrinsically possess both particle and wave properties, and it is adopted to interpret diverse optical phenomena including rectilinear propagation, polarization, interference and diffraction, forming the fundamental framework of modern quantum optics. Nevertheless, the theory of waveparticle duality contains inherent logical defects. Its essential flaw lies in confusing two completely distinct physical concepts: the intrinsic properties of a substance itself and the morphological features of its motion trajectory. Conventional theories mistake the apparent waveshaped trajectory produced by particle motion for the intrinsic wave property of microparticles, resulting in persistent conceptual ambiguity, missing physical mechanisms and logical inconsistencies within microoptics. This paper constructs an optical underlying model from a purely particle perspective to clarify the real mechanism behind waveparticle phenomena of light. A photon is an indivisible, nonspreading, nontrailing pointlike physical particle with no intrinsic wave property. While propagating, a photon travels along a fixed straightline direction and undergoes inherent transverse oscillation within the plane perpendicular to its propagation direction. At the moment of its generation, a photon uniquely fixes its transverse oscillation angle, amplitude and frequency within the 360degree plane perpendicular to its travelling direction. Once determined, these parameters remain constant throughout propagation without random shifts or arbitrary changes. Superposition of the photon’s longitudinal rectilinear motion and fixedangle transverse oscillation generates a standard sinusoidal trajectory. Consequently, all wavelike features observed in optics are geometric apparent effects originating from particle motion trajectories, rather than material properties intrinsic to photons. Based on this model, this paper reinterprets the core physical mechanism behind doubleslit interference. Contrary to the traditional explanation of photon selfinterference or wavefield superposition, interference fringes arise from microscopic mechanical interactions between transverselyoscillating photons and slit walls when photons pass through the slits. Such interactions regularly deflect photon flight angles. After being deflected and filtered by slits, large numbers of photons form uneven statistical distributions on the receiving plane and produce macroscopically observable lightanddark fringes. This paper also defines the threshold for photonphoton interactions. Ordinaryenergy photons such as visiblelight, infrared and ultraviolet photons do not interact, collide or exchange energy with one another in free space. Only gammaraylevel highenergy photons may collide, undergo energy annihilation, and convert into material particles such as electronpositron pairs. Relying entirely on classical mechanical superposition principles and discarding the contradictory hypothesis of waveparticle duality, the proposed purelyparticle model provides selfconsistent explanations for core classical optical phenomena and achieves analytical revision for the underlying logic of optical waveparticle phenomena.
Particle diffraction can be described by an ensemble of particle paths determined through a Fourier analysis of a scattering lattice where the momentum exchange probabilities are defined at the location of scattering, not the point of detection. This description is compatible with optical wave theories and quantum particle models and provides deeper insights to the nature of quantum uncertainty. In this paper the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld and Fresnel-Kirchoff theories are analyzed for diffraction by a narrow slit and a straight edge to demonstrate the dependence of particle scattering on the distance of virtual particle exchange. The quantized momentum exchange is defined by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and is consistent with the formalism of QED. This exchange of momentum manifests the "diffraction force" that appears to be a universal construct as it applies to neutral and charged particles. This analysis indicates virtual particles might form an exchange channel that bridges the space of momentum exchange.
Diffraction and interference fringes are stable and reproducible objective phenomena in optical experiments. Mainstream quantum mechanics puts forward the ontological interpretation of wave particle duality. It holds that the material ontology of micro particles such as photons inherently possesses both particle and wave properties, and attributes diffraction and interference phenomena directly to the intrinsic matter wave behavior of particles. This interpretation stays at the level of observational appearance and avoids underlying ontological dynamic mechanisms. It represents a research approach that deduces the intrinsic properties of material ontology merely from external observations. Within the framework of the light ontology theory, a photon is an energy state object. Energy and motion at the speed of light form an inseparable whole and are permanently bound together and cannot be separated. In the real universe, no photon with energy that does not travel at the speed of light has ever been observed. Nor has any object moving at the speed of light without energy been detected. The two cannot exist independently from one another. A photon has no physical volume but possesses inherent fixed transverse trembling property. At the moment a photon is generated, it acquires a definite trembling angle within a 360 degree spatial plane perpendicular to its propagation direction. This transverse trembling orientation remains unchanged without physical collision interaction. When the transverse trembling of a photon can reach the slit wall, absorption and reradiation secondary scattering will occur. Massive secondary photons superpose statistically to form bright and dark diffraction and interference fringes. Slit walls are stacked by large numbers of atoms. Their spatial scale is hundreds of thousands to tens of millions times larger than the scale of photon transverse trembling. For photons, slit walls constitute huge physical barriers and can produce significant interactions with trembling photons. The wave function is only a mathematical tool for fitting experimental data. Good fitting performance of a mathematical model does not mean its corresponding physical interpretation equals objective physical reality. This paper proposes a new set of comparative decisionmaking experiments. The key innovation is to place a linear polarizer in front of the slit. Before photons contact the slit, the transverse trembling orientation of photons is pre screened. The transverse trembling direction of transmitted photons is made parallel to the orientation of vertical slit walls to suppress oscillation components perpendicular to slit walls and make it difficult for photons to hit slit walls. Polarizers with different grating line widths can be replaced to observe the influence of the grating scale of polarizers on experimental results. According to the physical mechanism of slit wall scattering, characteristic diffraction and interference fringes will be greatly attenuated and only the central direct light spot will remain. Non ideal device characteristics will bring a small amount of stray scattering background, but complete bright and dark diffraction and interference structures will not appear. According to the traditional ontological interpretation of wave particle duality, the geometric parameters of slits remain completely unchanged. Only polarization orientation screening is conducted and the intrinsic matter wave of particle ontology is not affected. Therefore diffraction and interference fringes should be fully preserved. The two theories produce mutually exclusive observable predictions. This experiment can test whether the ontological interpretation of wave particle duality holds true. This paper does not deny objective diffraction and interference phenomena, nor does it deny the practical value of wave function as an engineering calculation tool.
Previous papers have presented an alternative picture for photon diffraction based on a distribution of photon paths through quantized momentum exchange with probabilities defined at the location of scattering, not the point of detection. This contrasted with the picture from classical optical wave theory that describes diffraction in terms of the Huygens-Fresnel principle and sums the phased contributions of electromagnetic waves at the location of detection to determine probabilities. This alternative picture was termed “Momentum Exchange Theory (MET),” replacing the concept of Huygens wavelets with photon scattering (positive and negative dispersions) through momentum exchange with the scattering lattice. MET assumes a momentum representation for diffracted particles and has been applied to several different optical diffraction experimental configurations. Straight edge diffraction has been a particularly revealing experimental configuration as it provides significant clues to the geometric parameters controlling exchange probabilities. Diffraction by an opaque disc is examined to provide further insight to negative (attractive) dispersions. This analysis indicates that the “diffraction force” is an integration of momentum exchange field interactions to derive an exchange probability at interaction points along the photon path – resembling aspects of the QED path integral formulation for particle interactions.
Traditional quantum mechanics explains single-slit diffraction and double-slit interference using wave–particle duality, claiming that photons exhibit both particle and wave properties and can produce self-interference to form light–dark patterns. This paper proposes a new theory: photons always move in uniform linear motion, accompanied by 360° omnidirectional, random, uncontrollable microscopic tremor during propagation. The patterns observed in single-slit and double-slit experiments are macroscopic phenomena formed by collision, reflection, and angular deflection of photons with slit walls due to their inherent tremor, followed by geometric amplification and statistical superposition of numerous photon trajectories. No patterns appear without a baffle because photons do not collide with any wall; no patterns appear with an overly wide slit because photons still pass through without touching the walls. Patterns emerge only when the slit is narrow enough to cause photon–wall collisions. When photons collide with atoms on the slit walls, electrons undergo energy level transitions and emit secondary light; superposition of secondary light from different directions forms alternating bright and dark fringes. This paper designs a carbon nanotube light-absorbing/non-absorbing control experiment and a receiver backplate distance variation auxiliary experiment, both of which provide quantitative and measurable evidence for the theory and form a complete logical closed loop, indicating that the wave–particle duality interpretation is untenable.