Does anybody know if there are instances other than diffraction

  • Thread starter Neo_Anderson
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Diffraction
In summary, individual photons are particles without wave properties. Wave properties might be seen only when many, many photons are observed.
  • #1
Neo_Anderson
171
1
that demonstrate the photon as a wave? There are tons of demonstrations showing light as a particle. Heck, even if we send it through one photon at a time, diffraction demonstrates photons as particles!
Where is the photon a wave?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I am not sure whether you consider the double slit experiment diffraction. However it is the classical demonstration of photons as wave. The effect shows up even when sends one photon at a time. Another variation is that electrons also exhibit the same wave effect.
 
  • #3
There are many examples for the wave behavior. Some of these are in fact quite practical, not just merely laboratory setups. For example, take the anti-reflecting coating on a glass. This is done by depositing a very thin layer (one-quarter the wavelength of average visible light in the said medium) of some other transparent substance with a different refractive index. The reflections from the two surfaces interfere destructively eliminating all reflection. (There is some residual reflection always, because the interference can be perfect only for monochromatic light.)
 
  • #4
The photon is always detected as a particle. For example, a single photon appears as a dot on a detection screen. It is localized in space-time. Experiments done one photon at a time all indicate that the photon is a particle. No wave properties are evident when we observe a single photon. A single photon is never smeared over the detection screen as a wave would be.
Oftentimes, however, when we repeat the experiment many times and observe many photons, then, we get a statistical distribution of all the dots on the screen due to different photons (particles) arriving at the screen at different times. This distribution of dots has maxima and minima that look like constructive and destructive interference in wave optics.
The point is this: Individual photons are particles without wave properties. Wave properties might be seen only when many, many photons are observed.
The defining experiment was done by Tonomura, et al, Amer. J. Phys. 57, 117-120 (1989)
 

1. Does diffraction only occur in light waves?

No, diffraction can occur in any type of wave, including sound, water, and seismic waves.

2. What causes diffraction?

Diffraction is caused by the bending of waves around an obstacle or through a small opening.

3. Can diffraction be observed in everyday life?

Yes, diffraction can be observed in everyday life, such as when you see a rainbow or hear sound from around a corner.

4. Is diffraction important in scientific research?

Yes, diffraction is an important phenomenon in scientific research, particularly in fields such as optics, acoustics, and seismology.

5. How is diffraction different from refraction?

Diffraction and refraction are both related to the bending of waves, but diffraction involves the spreading out of waves while refraction involves the change in direction of waves passing through a medium.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
641
Replies
16
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
3
Replies
81
Views
4K
Replies
28
Views
525
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
913
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
14
Views
1K
Back
Top