The holograms of photons can be of course considered with the phases , amplitudes and wavefunctions. The informations so can be studied .It is like the interferometric analysis if my memory is correct. But there is a difference with the columes of holograms and the real shape volumic of these photons but they converge probably if we knew what is really a photon. We have the same problem with the electrons, we don t know what they are really like foundamental mathematical and physical objects, but we see properties and if we find the good partitions and if we knew what they are really, it d be very relevant to improve the technologies of these photons . They are for me series of 3D spheres and not strings or points oscillating. If the volumes of these spheres are essential and that their number is very important, so the properties are incredible also considering their motions rotations oscillations. We must maybe differenciate the informations considering the 3 main systems that I considered, the real informations to reach a real quantum computer universal must consider probably qutrits and the informations in this space vacuum of the DE. It is there that the holograms become relevant to converge with the volumes of space for the computation but in going farer than just with photons.The spherical volumes of these 3 primordial series must be the key at my humble opinion. It is there that the strings and spheres conjecture appear and we don t really need lower dimensions or extradimensions, just the 3D spherical volumes can be sufficient and we can consider the gravitational bridges because this force is the main chief orchestra. Like I said in my model I have reached this quantum gravitation and the holographic principle and the strings were not necessary but the 3 series yes in a pure 3D , that is why we must return at this old school for the propertions and properties of these Spheres simply. Yang Mills , the ADS CFT correspondence, the strings, the Mtheory, the E8.....are not necessary to quantify this QG. Furthermore a fith force appears considering this space vacuum possessing the main codes encoding the two fuels....

"... a photon can carry information as both amplitude and phase, or intensity and polarization" Steve Agnew

A single photon is either detected or isn't. Intensity portrayed by amplitude relate to how many photons. If many photons strike the retina of an observer it will appear to be brighter than when only a few photons are being received, Photons can have different energies portrayed as different frequencies. Different individual photoreceptor cells each respond to a particular frequency or range of frequencies.

Is this of any interest?

Measuring the shape of a Photon

"The idea is to "mix" the photon to be measured with an intense laser pulse, allowing the photon and the pulse to interfere and either reinforce or cancel one another, depending on their shapes. The closer the shapes, the more likely it is that the photon will be detected." FOCUS, physics.aps.org, August 3, 2012, Physics 5, 86

Georgina,

How about this as a semantic bridge between philosophy and science terminology:

Your link to experimental efforts towards observation of an actual realistic shape of a photon is quite relevant and there are a few efforts I've come across over time that seek to isolate a single photon, the most recent was a credentialed protected source at U. of Maryland several years ago which claimed empirical success down to 4 photons.

In experimental physics, there is such a thing as "confounding variables" as opposed to "hidden variables" in theoretical parlance. Such can be illustrated by the clear implication of the photoelectric equation (e=hf) that any single wavelet will carry the Planck value quantity of energy, so it suggests a model of a wavetrain of same frequency solotons is the physical phenomenon of EMR and that intensity is confused with rapidity of of energetic transfer in an experimental regimen that only counts time span on the detector and assimilates multiple wavetrains as one. Conventionally there is the std model that the photon is a single entity, These are conflicting views but as of yet no experiment satisfies the dispute; hence we lack a definitive result.

So, okay, Kant's definition of noumenon rather than phenomenon could apply. Yes EMR is existential as a phenomenon but as yet is not predictably explained in an experiment based model. Does that distinction satisfy your criteria? jrc

p.s. Steve D's recognition that if the volume remains constant to any frequency of EM but the shape changes is, I think, quite important. And I myself found years ago that just following the math as I modeled an e=hf wavetrain, produced a constant volume across all frequencies. (My pet, but I'm not satisfied that its paper trained yet)

    This reference is really quite good, but unfortunately, does not include spectral as well as temporal photon plots. The photon is an oscillation in space and time and so photon volume is likewise an oscillation in space and time.

    Is that okay? Classically, there is no classical photon, only semiclassical. But photon volume only makes quantum sense as electric field amplitude and polarization or as the orthogonal magnetic field amplitude and polarization.

    For an unpolarized single photon, the electric field has both polarizations with uncorrelated phase and so photon electric field volume is an nice average of those oscillations.

    For a linearly polarized photon, there is much less width to the photon volume, but of course, never a zero width. Therefore all photons have an electric field volume as well as a magnetic field volume that oscillates in time.

    Hello Georgina and John,

    Thanks John, I beleive indeed strongly that the volumes are important and the poincare conjecture more a conjecture of a pure volumic 3D preserved could be a key at my humble opinion. The strings could converge even and an other point that I utilise in my theory is instead of a ricci flow for the deformations the symplectomorphsims preserving these volumes. That could be relevant to correlate the external and internal causes in differenciating the GR and the space vacuum coded.It is there that my humble theory could converge between the geometrical algebras of lie, clifford or hopf considering the vectors, tensors, scalars with points or strings and the GR and my model with the space vacuum , the 3D spheres, the two fuels encoded and the spherical topologicval geometrical algebras. In resume, what we observe and measure and extrapolate with the strings, geom alg, the GR can permit by a kind of holography to reach my 3D spheres and the space vacuum , the dark matter and the quantum gravitation. There is like a conjecture and a bridge if I can say in logic. Friendly

    Doc,

    Ahh! I get what you mean by 'there is no classical photon'. True enough in that by the book, classicism treats light (EMR) as a transverse wave which conflicts with the observed LOS photoelectric effect. So 'semi-classical' I guess will have to do.

    Could you elaborate on "an unpolarized photon", wouldn't there be an attendant magnetic field which is simply undifferentiated by lack of an axial rotation? Such ideas are of course conjectural, but may be clues to sorting out the confusion of the Transition Zone. jrc

    Steve Agnew, Like I am curious and that we are on a relevant transparent platform, what is for you a photon ? a string in this GR, a point , and if yes why ? and also what is the philosophical origin of this universe for you, do you consider only the photons like primoridal essence and this GR oscillating and if yes why ? thanks , regards

    Steve D.

    Are you asking? ...."an oscillation (of what?) in space and time"? or "an oscillation of spacetime?"

    If we accept GR field equations in its terms of a stress energy tensor, then the field is raw energy that can be conceived of as continuously coming into being as a consequence of what mathematically we would describe as the difference between a straight line and a curved line, hence the tighter the curvature the higher the stress energy.

    Semi-Classically (3D) the energy field could be deemed primordial and an oscillation of which would satisfy the question "of what" in Steve Agnew's nicely written brief. His distinction of a linearly polarized photon is provocative, and I agree with you that this discussion is opening some contextually good avenues of approach to modeling the characteristics of EM observations to a physical shaping of a theoretical photon. The possible axial rotation of a soloton and the directional vector of electric field on its surface might produce a rationale for that physical rotation, rotating from the orthogonal to linear (as we speak of a conical section rotating) polarization dependent on the emission source. jrc

    These are some very interesting questions that do relate to understanding the universe. An unpolarized photon has no meaning in a determinate universe since every photon has a well defined polarization before any measurement.

    The quantum reality is that even a single photon can be unpolarized and the measurement of a single photon polarization actually results in either of two polarizations. This cruel quantum logic limits what we can know about quantum precursors for quantum outcomes.

    A photon is a quantum superposition of two polarization states and when those two polarizations share quantum phase, the photon is polarized. When the quantum phases of the two polarizations are not coherent, the photon is unpolarized. Of course, there are many degrees of depolarization just as there are elliptical as well as circular and linear polarizations.

    There is a magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field and each polarization. Note that certain combinations of amplitude and polarization can result in a dark photon due to destructive interference. The question then becomes where does the photon energy disappear to?

    Just like a photon can be transform limited as a sinc pulse in time and frequency, the universe is a 13.4 Byr sinc pulse in time made up of 1e125 sinc pulses of aether in frequency. So the photon Fourier transform limit also reflects the universe Fourier transform limit...

    John,

    the EMR is existential. We agree on that, there is evidence from its effects. A photon of EMr isn't the "thing appearing to view" For a visible light photon. the effect could be a seen flash of light. Generated from the signal sent by a stimulated photoreceptor cell. That effect is a phenomenon; known by the observer, who might call the experience seeing a photon. It is the knowable effect not the Source noumenon, the particle entity. Re. quantum experiments: Starting with the noumenon entity, a relation is formed with it and a property born from that relationship, that specific perspective, is revealed by generation of a knowable phenomenon. Eg, exposure of a film emulsion or click of a photomultiplier. Relevant to the measurement problem.

    Steve A.

    Nice! "The question then becomes where does the photon energy disappear to?"

    I like to think that the gravitational field is another c proportional difference in potential intensity or physical density, from that same proportional difference between electric and magnetic. So IF a photon is an envelope of gravitationally bound energy in a self reinforcing wave (soloton) the phase drft resulting in destructive interferrence of the electromagnetic influence, might not destroy the gravitational bound. It becomes 'dark' and not detectable but would still follow a gravitational worldline. In common aggregate emission it would be like the zero's mathematical property of a place keeper.

    That last post of mine needs a bit more qualification;

    If we equate energy density with velocity relativistically existant within the soloton volume, then a rotation off orthogonal, or a phase drift that would destroy the electromagnetic polarity would not necessarily destroy the energy (conservation is inviolate). Rather, the existant velocity inherent to a differentiation of electric field and magnetic field would physically compound to result in a gravitational density from the portion of energy at magnetic range, and a magnetic density of the portion which had been at electric density. But without an electrical inductive influence the magnetic region would not be differentiable as such. jrc

    Georgi, many years ago, a sign painter named George Stankowitz holding forth at the old Fort Fizzle (local historical legend) spake thusly about the nature of time;

    Sir! I am greatly embarrassed and deeply humiliated, but due to certain unforseen circumstances the inner workings and hidden mechanisms of my chronometer are in such inacord with the great sidereal motion by which time is most commonly reckoned by most men, that I cannot with any degree of accuracy state the precise time. However, at the risk of being somewhat in error I would hazzard that it is approximately 38 minutes and some several ticks past the hour of three o'clock past noon.

    Colloquially, time cannot know how fast its going any more than we can, nor space know what size it is. We just start with 1 second per second as the world turns. And in a condensate of energy, there need be no single light velocity limit to how time and density might stack up on itself. jrc

    Timing is comparison of a change (subject of inquiry) with a standard , regular change providing a scale, enabling measurement. Is per second is like saying a water clock measures 1 drip per drip. It isn't the speed of time but the unit used for comparison; i.e. used for timing. I don't think the problem lies in the knowability of the speed of time by itself, or for us. It is the incompatibility of the concept of speed with foundational passage of time (tied to the configuration of existence). The relativity of experienced events has to do with signal travel distances from source to receiver. I don't see any requirement for variable light velocity other than varying according to the medium it is passing through

    Georgina,

    Oh... excuse me, it was JOHN not George. but anyhow

    There is no incompatibility of the concept of speed with foundational passage of time. Light Velocity is physically a foundational constant but that is due to it being the root mean of the limit time itself can act. Time only 'stops' for a photon at light velocity , not the region of space it transits through, because that is a 'fast' as time can pass across a span of distance measured in that region. It has never been falsified yet, that the passage of time slows in greater gravitational fields. Where time physically 'stops' is where energy density is compact enough that the gravitational effect is comparable to a black hole. And arguably, there is a tiny black (or perfectly transparent) black hole a the center of any and every metastable real physical particle, it is the densities of electromagnetic fields which are observable as being in superposition. And if we accept c as the root exponential mean, then where there exists sufficient gravitational compaction of density to produce a black hole then that density would be perfectly inelastic and the foundational rate of passage of time would be the sum of integral exponential partial differentials {(c^1/e) c } = 2.143^14 cm/sec. and an event horizon would exist at the zero boundary of that perfect inelasticity and the nominal inelastic density we encounter with inelastic scattering observations.

    We can agree to disagree, that's the essence of argumentative discussion. jrc

    Hi John, I agree to disagree. The kind of time carried by EMr is not foundational but emergent.

    The photon oscillates from positive to nonexistence to negative in electric field and 90 degrees out of phase with the perpendicular magnetic oscillation. So the photon never really disappears during its oscillations but simply goes from electric to magnetic and back again.

    Radio wave dipole antennas do a similar exchange and even planetary gravity elliptical orbits exchange potential and kinetic energy in a gravity oscillation as well.

    In fact, there is an extra vector gravity associated with the mass loss of star emission that couples star motion in galaxies. This extra gravity term is called dark matter but is really just the gravity analog to vector magnetization.

    The pilot wave stuff is popular for photons, but seems completely unnecessary since photon diffraction is really not that mysterious...

    Georgina,

    This last post by Dr. Agnew is accurate, but ripe for your brand of analysis. Put aside the contemplative physiological perceptual issues and concentrate on the accepted hard classicism of a simplified electromagnetic circuitry that acts in accord with known physical laws of causal effects. In particular that of an electric field in motion propagating a changing magnetic field; so while the recording device of the detection system would output the Maxwellian graphic sinusoids at right angles of an electromagnetic wave accurately and correctly, what in physical reality would be the electric field of the photon would register as the magnetic lobe on the graphic output. best jrc

    What I find interesting about this is the 90* phase offset at light velocity of any EM wave event shows an equal volume under the curve s of both electric and magnetic response, yet in an at rest spherical point charge there is the classic c proportional difference of intensity and the fields are naturally in phase. This means that the commonly used condensed set of Maxwell's equations are topologically derived from the original results of Maxwell at a time when few (and mostly dedicated pupils of his) understood his math. And it has been noted that there are archives of Maxwell's works and results that have remained unexamined. This suggests that in all those tomes of analysis of Faradays slow speed experiments and Hertz' radio wave oscillator experiments, a correct interpretation of Maxwell would show that as the precursor speed increases from relative rest upwards towards light velocity, that the phase progressively creeps towards the classic 90* offset AND the intensity of the electric field progressively drops to the same value as magnetic field strength. This would argue for velocity directly effecting energy density. Also, given that a magnetic or electric field is propagated to higher intensity the faster the rate of change of the magnet and a conductor (sic) passing each other, that the actual shape of a photon/soloton could correspond with the amplitude as a function of steepness of the rate of change of slope. The high energy of high frequencies is thus analogous of a prolate spheroidal shape of the photon. best jrc

    correction: I should have noted :same area under the curve(s)" of both electric and magnetic response.

    However, that area is of the effective inductance reaction of the volumetric field regions moving in proximity and it goes to the non-zero vector tangent to the graphic plane representing the inverse square LOS between the axial direction of the EM signal and the receiver element, which Dr. Agnew draws a correspondence with in potential and kinetic energy in orbital oscillations. If we were to put the physical field back into the GR spacetime model, we could still do without the Force term because force in GR is simply expressed in its separate terms of Mass and Acceleration, and those can go to direction and magnitude.

    I was out of town yesterday at a function and this afternoon was blocked from the fqxi server with a Fatal Error notice which displayed the stack number and page number and the identifier of the insertion/surveillance bot, I need not name that source out of an abundance of caution and it was successfully cleared by identifying it to a smart phone through which it routed. If you find such a notice, you will also find that you cannot contact fqxi to report it, because security protocols will not recognize your email address. You must check you contact lists of your own devices and networks to backfeed the intruder DNS identifier so that it chews on itself. Keep in mind that fqxi is an open source portal to one of the world's most advanced theoretical research institutes. A Perimeter is just that! a perimeter.

    there's a cyber war going on, KISS, and keep a clean machine. Don't network your science with your playthings. And Gads! get off the couch and adjust the thermostat digitally with those on your hand! cheers jrc