Elektromagnetic field ~ probability amplitudes

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 2K views
birulami
Messages
153
Reaction score
0
Given an electromagnetic field by its components E and B. How is this related to probability amplitudes of a Schrödinger wave function for the same field.

Trying the same or at least a similar question from a different angle: given the E and B field, can we derive from it, in principle, not considering solvability, the probability of registering a photon within a certain (small) volume and time interval?

If not, which piece of information is missing. Yet another angle on the question: do the E and B field contain all the information for the probabilities or is there something missing?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The electromagnetic field is a relativistic massless spin-1-field. There is no physically sensible interpretation of it as a single-particle wave function as for massive particles in non-relativistic (Schrödinger) quantum mechanics. There is not even a proper position operator for photons!