What happens when you try to chop a photon in half?
Physicists are exploring the theoretical possibility of dividing a photon by manipulating the mirror it reflects off of mid-process. The study highlights the complex, nonlinear nature of light interactions that occur when traditional physical boundaries are challenged.
Why it matters
Understanding the fundamental behavior of light at the quantum level is essential for future advancements in quantum computing and optical communication.
Chop to release rainbow What happens when you try to chop a photon in half? A mirror that moves mid-photon could release a shower of new photons.
12 Credit: DrPixel Credit: DrPixel Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav A photon is a single particle of light, and under normal circumstances, it can’t be divided. But a photon is also not a particle, in the sense that it does not have a specific location. Instead, it is an extended object.
So if a photon is only partway through the process of reflecting from a perfect mirror and you yank the mirror away, what happens? The answer, from a trio of Norwegian physicists, turns out ( arxiv.org link ) to be more complex than I expected.
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