One of the foundational pillars of modern physics—wave-particle duality and the absoluteness of the speed of light (c)—lies at the core of the ontological tensions between quantum mechanics and relativity. This study rejects the assumption that the photon is an abstract, zero-dimensional mathematical object, proposing instead a two-component mechanical structure consisting of a micro-"core" at the center—exhibiting microscopic fluctuations (less than a billionth fraction) at low energy and evolving into a spatial macro-superposition (form and position uncertainty) at high energy—surrounded by a dynamic "energy envelope" carrying the core's frequency-dependent vibration kinetics. This model provides a mechanical foundation demonstrating how low-frequency optical events allow fields to pass through one another (wave/ghost behavior) due to minimal core kinetic smearing and sub-nanoscale fluctuations, while high-frequency gamma conditions drive core interactions and Breit-Wheeler matter condensation through increased vibration intensity and macro-superposition (effective cross-section growth). Furthermore, it is discussed that the measured speed of light is not an abstract spacetime curvature, but a local terminal speed shaped by the quantum background.
One of the foundational pillars of modern physics—wave-particle duality and the absoluteness of the speed of light (c)—lies at the core of the ontological tensions between quantum mechanics and relativity. This study rejects the assumption that the photon is an abstract, zero-dimensional mathematical object, proposing instead a two-component mechanical structure consisting of a micro-"core" at the center—exhibiting microscopic fluctuations (less than a billionth fraction) at low energy and evolving into a spatial macro-superposition (form and position uncertainty) at high energy—surrounded by a dynamic "energy envelope" carrying the core's frequency-dependent vibration kinetics. This model provides a mechanical foundation demonstrating how low-frequency optical events allow fields to pass through one another (wave/ghost behavior) due to minimal core kinetic smearing and sub-nanoscale fluctuations, while high-frequency gamma conditions drive core interactions and Breit-Wheeler matter condensation through increased vibration intensity and macro-superposition (effective cross-section growth). Furthermore, it is discussed that the measured speed of light is not an abstract spacetime curvature, but a local terminal speed shaped by the quantum background.
Wave-particle duality is widely regarded as one of the conceptual pillars of modern quantum theory, providing the framework through which the behavior of microscopic matter can be consistently interpreted. According to this principle, microscopic entities such as electrons, photons, atoms and even complex molecules exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties depending on the experimental configuration used to observe them. This duality is quantitatively formalized through the De Broglie relation, which associates a wavelength with any particle possessing momentum. The present work provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the physical and mathematical foundations of wave-particle duality, focusing particularly on the De Broglie wavelength and the kinetic energy of the electron in both non-relativistic and relativistic regimes. The connection between the De Broglie hypothesis and Schrödinger’s equation is discussed in detail, highlighting the role of the kinetic energy operator and the interpretation of matter waves in terms of quantum wave packets. Experimental evidence supporting the wave nature of matter, including electron diffraction experiments and interferometry techniques, is also reviewed. Beyond their conceptual importance, these principles underpin several modern technologies, including electron microscopy, nanoscale semiconductor devices and quantum metrology. The analysis demonstrates that the De Broglie relation provides a unifying framework connecting momentum, wavelength and kinetic energy, thereby forming a fundamental bridge between classical mechanics, quantum theory and modern technological applications.
Why does matter possess wave-like properties? Is wave-particle duality an inherent dual nature of matter, or merely a projection of a deeper underlying physical structure under two distinct observational perspectives? This paper presents a rigorous first-principles derivation of matter wave dynamics within the axiomatic framework of Time Field Theory (TFT). The entire derivation relies solely on two core axioms: local intrinsic total velocity conservation and metric self-consistency (flux conservation), without introducing any extra postulates. Following the logical sequence of ontological foundation, phase derivation, wave generation, hierarchical classification, physical correspondence, extreme-case verification, and unified spectrum construction, this paper first establishes the core ontological premise that matter corresponds to localized condensed states of the time field. It then derives the geometric structure of the existence phase angle on the unit circle of the complex plane from the velocity conservation axiom, revealing the fundamental origin of intrinsic material phases. On this basis, the de Broglie relations are strictly derived, eliminating the dualistic contradiction between particle and wave characteristics. This work further distinguishes two distinct wave regimes: intrinsic waves originating from phase evolution within condensed states, and apparent waves arising from the global spatial translation of field distributions, which are respectively mapped onto electromagnetic waves and gravitational waves as two classes of physical reality. Using black hole horizons as an extreme physical testbed, we demonstrate that intrinsic wave phenomena vanish completely at time-freezing surfaces while apparent wave behaviors remain intact, providing a unified explanation for the observational fact that black holes emit no light yet produce gravitational waves. We also clarify the ontological origin of black hole darkness: light is not trapped by gravity, but the physical conditions required for photon generation cease to hold at time-freezing surfaces. Finally, we construct a continuous spectrum of wave behaviors ranging from the vacuum ground state to black hole horizons. This paper proves that wave-like behavior is not a binary ”present/absent” attribute of matter, but a continuous function of the condensation strength of the time field. Quantum mechanics and classical mechanics do not describe two separate physical worlds; instead, they represent two limiting regimes of a single universal time field under different condensation levels.
Abstract This paper proposes a foundational physical paradigm framework with energy as the sole physical ontology. Different from the field ontology of quantum field theory and the particle-pilot wave dual ontology of Bohmian mechanics, it establishes a strictly divided four-layer cognitive system of “energy ontology–wave motion–node appearance–mathematical tool”. Energy is defined as the irreducible sole physical ontology (ontological preset); waves are not independent physical entities, but the inherent propagation mode of energy in spacetime following the principle of least action; microscopic particles are not basic material objects, but local dynamic nodes formed by coherent superposition and nonlinear self-focusing of multiple energy waves; fields and wave functions are pure mathematical tools for describing the spacetime distribution of energy without independent entity attributes. Based on the Fourier superposition principle, standing wave formation mechanism and the principle of least action, this paper fundamentally resolves the paradox of wave-particle duality and clarifies the inevitability of energy fluctuation. Two basic forms of energy waves are defined: traveling waves without rest mass for global energy transport and localized standing waves for bound energy localization, with clear transformation mechanisms and physical division of labor. Based on three self-consistent underlying axioms, two types of nodes (linear superposition/photon-type and nonlinear self-focusing/matter-type) are distinguished, the coupling rules of transverse and longitudinal waves are reconstructed, and the microscopic origins of gravity and strong force are unified. To resolve core theoretical disputes, this paper supplements a dynamic equilibrium radiation mechanism to eliminate the energy dissipation paradox of stable particles, revises wave coupling rules to be compatible with QED photon-photon scattering experimental facts, and completes the physical dimension and quantitative paving of node formation thresholds to upgrade theoretical self-consistency. Meanwhile, phase chirality is introduced as the unified origin of charge, spin and matter-antimatter asymmetry, and four experimentally verifiable physical predictions and falsifiable inferences are proposed. This framework only updates the underlying ontology of modern physics, fully compatible with existing mature quantitative calculation systems, without subverting the experimental conclusions of the Standard Model and general relativity, providing a new path for the paradigm innovation of fundamental physics unification.
We propose a novel interpretation of quantum mechanics based on the hypothesis that quantum entities possess two ontologically distinct components—particle and wave—that couple to spacetime through fundamentally different mechanisms. The particle component interacts with spacetime through conventional local, causal coupling, while the wave component exists on a topological plane structurally linked to spacetime's global geometric properties. This dual-mode coupling framework offers intuitive explanations for wave-particle duality, measurement-induced decoherence, quantum interference, and non-local correlations without invoking wavefunction collapse or observer-dependent reality. We outline the conceptual foundations, discuss how this framework resolves longstanding quantum paradoxes, and propose potential experimental tests.
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.
One of the most intriguing quantum phenomena of light is the wave–particle duality which is related to the inability of the classical wave and particle concepts to fully describe the behavior of quantum objects. Theoretically, the wave features of the electromagnetic field, such as interference, follow from the solution of Maxwell's equations while particle features are a consequence of the field quantization, in which the electromagnetic field is described to consist of discrete energy packets, photons. Due to the wave–particle duality, for example, simultaneous description of optical absorption, emission, and interference of propagating fields has conventionally not been considered feasible using local optical models but has required using Maxwell's equations with stochastic source terms accounting for the wave–particle duality. Also the description of the momentum of light in a medium has been problematic.
In the research described in this thesis, the quantized fluctuational electrodynamics (QFED) model is derived based on combining the electromagnetic Green's functions to the field quantization to describe the position dependence of the photon number and local thermal balance in general non-equilibrium conditions, and to separate the electromagnetic field into parts propagating in different directions in resonant structures, which has conventionally been problematic due to interference effects. The QFED method is shown to resolve the previously found anomalies in the canonical commutation relations of photon ladder operators. The QFED method is also used to derive quantum optical field–matter interaction parameters fully capturing the interference, emission, damping, and scattering of propagating photons in stratified media leading to an interference-exact radiative transfer equation (RTE) model. Therefore, the derived interaction parameters solve the problem of simultaneously describing interference and losses in the widely used RTE framework.
The particle aspects of light are also studied by directly applying the conservation laws of nature and the special theory of relativity to show that light propagating in a medium must be described as mass-polariton (MP) quasiparticles, covariant coupled states of the field and matter. These quasiparticles are shown to have momentum of the Minkowski form and a nonzero mass that is carried by a mass density wave associated with light. The field–matter interaction related to the MP quasiparticles also leads to the dissipation of photon energy. These particle model results are also derived using a wave-based optoelastic continuum dynamics (OCD) approach following from the electrodynamics of continuous media and the continuum mechanics. The obtained results verify the full agreement between the wave and particle models when they are correctly applied. The key finding that a light pulse propagating in a medium is inevitably associated with an experimentally measurable mass implies a fundamental change in the prevailing perceptions of light.; Eras kiehtovimmista valon…