- #1
jacobi
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The state of a photon can be represented by complex number or 2d vector, where the x-axis represents the electric field, and the y-axis represents the magnetic field. Interference can been seen as the addition of several of these vectors.
Similarly, in quantum physics the wavefunction at a given point in space and time is a complex number/vector, and interference is the addition of such vectors. However, here it's often said that the wavefunction itself has no physical meaning (except that the square of its magnitude represents a probability), and there is only indirect evidence for its existence (such as interference experiments).
Is there no physical significance to the x-axis of the wavefunction of an electron, like the electric field for photons? If not, why is there one for photons? Why are photons different?
It seems that the situation should be the same for both particles, and we can clearly detect electric fields. Can someone explain this to me?
Similarly, in quantum physics the wavefunction at a given point in space and time is a complex number/vector, and interference is the addition of such vectors. However, here it's often said that the wavefunction itself has no physical meaning (except that the square of its magnitude represents a probability), and there is only indirect evidence for its existence (such as interference experiments).
Is there no physical significance to the x-axis of the wavefunction of an electron, like the electric field for photons? If not, why is there one for photons? Why are photons different?
It seems that the situation should be the same for both particles, and we can clearly detect electric fields. Can someone explain this to me?