Re: The time it takes to emit one photon

On 2005-08-26, Eugene Stefanovich <eugenev@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Igor Khavkine wrote:

>> So, yes, there are two
>> kinds of detectable interference here.
>
> This is very strange.
> Take Young's double-slit experiment. When light has a high intensity
> (many photons) you see a continuous interference pattern. This
> is perfectly described by the Maxwell's wave theory. The intensity of
> the image on the screen is
> proportional to E^2(x). Now turn down
> the intensity of the light source until you can see individual
> photons one-by-one.
> The form of the interference pattern does not change. However,
> now it is clear that each photon produces a tiny dot on the screen.
> Maxwell's E^2(x) intensity now corresponds to the number
> (or frequency) of photons hitting the screen in the vicinity of
> each point x.
> The behavior of photons is clearly quantum-mechanical.
>
> You are saying that the interference patterns in the high-intensity
> and low-intensity regimes must be interpreted as manifestations of
> two different physical laws. I am saying that there is no difference.
> In both cases the interference appears due to the quantum law
> of addition of particle quantum amplitudes.
> In the high-intensity case the
> particle nature of light is hidden by the huge number of particles
> involved.

There is no difference between the diffraction patterns because they are
predicted by the same set of linear equations. What is different is what
these equations are applied to. In one case they are applied to
classical fields (continuous intensity, no quantum effects), while in
the other case they are applied to the wave function (the interference
pattern is built up individual dots exactly the same way as for single
electron diffraction, obvious quantum effects). The "thing" that
satisfies the equations in each case cannot be the same.

Igor

.

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