Maxwellian field vs many-body wave mechanics

[Swamp Thing]

In some descriptions of the Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment, I read that the correlation results can be derived from classical wave theory, and that you only need quantum theory to explain it at the level of individual clusters of photons.

So if one knows the value of the Maxwellian field at every point within the experiment zone, can one recover the quantum description of the experiment, e.g. can one say what percentage of the photons are individual particles and what percentage are entangled pairs, and what the phase relations are between their respective waves etc etc?

 

[eljose79]

Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic. The Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment is a classic example of a phenomenon that can be explained both by classical wave theory and quantum theory. In this experiment, the correlation results can indeed be derived from classical wave theory, but it is important to note that this only holds true for a large number of photons. At the level of individual clusters of photons, quantum theory is needed to fully explain the results.

To answer your question, if one knows the value of the Maxwellian field at every point within the experiment zone, it is possible to recover some aspects of the quantum description of the experiment. For example, one could determine the percentage of photons that are individual particles and the percentage that are entangled pairs. However, determining the phase relations between their respective waves would require a more detailed understanding of the quantum behavior of the photons.

It is important to note that even with a complete knowledge of the classical wave field, there are still limitations to what can be determined about the quantum behavior of the photons. This is because the quantum behavior of particles is inherently probabilistic, and even with a complete knowledge of the classical wave field, there will always be some uncertainty in the exact behavior of individual particles.

In summary, while classical wave theory can provide some insights into the Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment, a full understanding of the quantum behavior of the photons requires the use of quantum theory. I hope this helps to clarify the relationship between classical and quantum explanations of this experiment.