Polarization of photon-Peskin and Schroeder

ndcat10
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi, I am currently studying quantum field theory with worldwidely used text written by Peskin and Schroeder. On page 165 of that text it says, " the amplitude vanishes unless the final photon is right-handed." But I cannot figure out how it works. With ε = (0,1,i,0), I get same expression located right after 5.100, which result in 0 when it applies to u_R = \pmatrix{ 0 \cr 1}. I think there must be something related to photon polarization and I am missing. Could you find where I got wrong? Thanks in advance.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I'm not sure if this is the issue you're having since I don't have my book in front of me, but I know they use a different convention than most on the Jones vectors. Usually, right polarized is (0,1,-i,0). Maybe this would make a difference?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_vector#Jones_vectors
 
I still cannot figure out the connection between Jones vectors and my problem. Anyway thanks a lot :)
 
I am not sure if this belongs in the biology section, but it appears more of a quantum physics question. Mike Wiest, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Wellesley College in the US. In 2024 he published the results of an experiment on anaesthesia which purported to point to a role of quantum processes in consciousness; here is a popular exposition: https://neurosciencenews.com/quantum-process-consciousness-27624/ As my expertise in neuroscience doesn't reach up to an ant's ear...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
This is still a great mystery, Einstein called it ""spooky action at a distance" But science and mathematics are full of concepts which at first cause great bafflement but in due course are just accepted. In the case of Quantum Mechanics this gave rise to the saying "Shut up and calculate". In other words, don't try to "understand it" just accept that the mathematics works. The square root of minus one is another example - it does not exist and yet electrical engineers use it to do...
Back
Top