How Many Photons in a Light Wave

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the relationship between photons and light waves, exploring whether a single photon can be equated to a light wave or if it represents a smaller component of a light wave. Participants examine the implications of these concepts in terms of how surfaces respond to light and the nature of light pulses.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a single photon is equivalent to a light wave or merely a part of it, seeking clarification on how surfaces respond to light.
  • Another participant asserts that a single photon is equivalent to a light wave, suggesting a direct relationship between the two concepts.
  • A different participant raises questions about the nature of a single photon, particularly regarding its existence in time and space, and discusses the implications of sending light pulses through absorptive media.
  • This participant also speculates on the possibility of sending a pulse into a material and obtaining a continuous wave as an output.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between photons and light waves, with no consensus reached on whether a single photon can be equated to a light wave or how they interact with materials.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss concepts that may depend on specific definitions of photons and light waves, as well as assumptions about the nature of light pulses and their behavior in different media.

peter.ell
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I was just wondering how the concept of a single photon is compared to the concept of a light wave.

Is a single photon equivalent to a single light wave, or is a single photon just a tiny instantaneous part of a light wave? That is, if a single light wave of a given wavelength strikes a surface, would that surface respond as if only one photon hit it, or a stream of photons all hitting it with the same frequency as the light wave?

Or am I completely mis-understanding this and it's neither of these two? Please help me understand this conceptually.

Thank you so much!
 
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A single photon is what you would call a light wave, and vice versa.
 
Excuse me if I make a bunch of over-simplified statements.

Does a single photon have a beginning and an end? Whenever I think of light pulses I think of the localization in space (or time) as being due to the superposition of many modes closely spaced in frequency. If the light were truly monochromatic it would have to extend infinitely in time. I can send the pulse through an absorptive medium such that most of the light gets absorbed every time. If I repeat this enough times, for one of these pulses everything is absorbed except for a single photon (hv of energy). Then is it theoretically possible to send a pulse into a material and get a continuous wave out the other side?
 

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