Article on photon wave-particle duality

In summary, the conversation revolved around the concept of wave-particle duality in quantum physics, with some participants questioning its significance and others defending it. The validity of a recent publication on the topic was also brought up, with some participants dismissing it as poorly written and lacking understanding of the subject. Overall, the conversation highlighted the ongoing debate and confusion surrounding wave-particle duality in the field of physics.
  • #1
physics pfan
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TL;DR Summary
Need feedback on a new take on duality....
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physics pfan said:
We all know that Feynman declared wave-particle duality as the central/only problem of quantum physics.
We do? He did? He certainly said QM is strange, and hard to really understand. But I don't think he was hung up on the wave-particle thing. Perhaps this is just semantics though.
 
  • #4
physics pfan said:
Summary:: Need feedback on a new take on duality...

We all know that Feynman declared wave-particle duality as the central/only problem of quantum physics.
Not sure how to evaluate a recent publication summary on this topic: https://sciencex.com/news/2020-11-wave-particle-duality-entanglement-customary-pitfalls.html
Would like others take on this; it come from a different perspective for sure...
I can safely say that that article is garbage. It's written by someone who has no idea what he's taking about. The author is a philosopher and simply hasn't taken the time to learn and understand physics before writing about it.
 
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Frankly, I just don't understand why people are constantly trying to solve, or explain, wave-particle duality in light. We use lots of analogies in teaching physics, which are useful, but, of course, not really correct. We teach classical light diffraction with water wave diffraction in high school, for example. Yet no one has a hard time confusing water waves and light. It seems enough to say that photons act like photons, which, BTW, share some features of waves and some of particles.

A skunk is like a cat, but isn't really a cat. Skunks are like dogs, but there also not completely like dogs. Yet we don't seem to have a cat-dog duality problem with skunks.
 
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  • #6
DaveE said:
A skunk is like a cat, but isn't really a cat. Skunks are like dogs, but there also not completely like dogs. Yet we don't seem to have a cat-dog duality problem with skunks.
Or, something like a "father-accountant" duality, where a man behaves like a "father" when he's at home and like an "accountant" when he's at work.
 
  • #7
physics pfan said:
We all know that Feynman declared wave-particle duality as the central/only problem of quantum physics.
If I remember correctly he said something along those lines about the double-slit experiment, not the (now a bit outdated) concept wave/particle duality.
 
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A bit outdated? Well, it's no longer part of physics since 1925, nearly 100 years ago. I'd say it's a shame that "wave-particle duality" is not yet forgotten (as should be also "relativistic mass")!
 
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  • #9
physics pfan said:
We all know that Feynman declared wave-particle duality as the central/only problem of quantum physics.

No, "we all" do not know this.

physics pfan said:
Not sure how to evaluate a recent publication summary on this topic

The article you linked to is not a good source.
 
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  • #10
The OP question is based on a misconception and an invalid reference. Thread closed.
 

1. What is photon wave-particle duality?

Photon wave-particle duality is the concept that photons, which are particles of light, exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. This means that they can behave as both a wave and a particle depending on the experimental conditions.

2. How was photon wave-particle duality discovered?

The concept of photon wave-particle duality was first proposed by Albert Einstein in his theory of photoelectric effect in 1905. It was later confirmed through experiments such as the double-slit experiment by Thomas Young and the photoelectric effect experiment by Robert Millikan.

3. What are the wave-like properties of photons?

Photons exhibit wave-like properties such as interference, diffraction, and polarization. This means that they can interfere with each other, diffract around obstacles, and have a specific orientation of their electric and magnetic fields.

4. What are the particle-like properties of photons?

Photons also exhibit particle-like properties such as having a specific energy and momentum, being able to transfer energy and momentum when interacting with matter, and being quantized in nature. This means that they behave like discrete particles rather than continuous waves.

5. How does photon wave-particle duality impact our understanding of light?

The concept of photon wave-particle duality challenges the classical understanding of light as a purely wave-like phenomenon. It has led to the development of quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of particles at the subatomic level. It also has practical applications in fields such as optics, electronics, and telecommunications.

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