dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Maxwell wave function of the photon
| Authors | M. G. Raymer, Brian J. Smith |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0604169 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0604169 |
Abstract
James Clerk Maxwell unknowingly discovered a correct relativistic, quantum theory for the light quantum, forty-three years before Einstein postulated the photon's existence. In this theory, the usual Maxwell field is the quantum wave function for a single photon. When the non-operator Maxwell field of a single photon is second quantized, the standard Dirac theory of quantum optics is obtained. Recently, quantum-state tomography has been applied to experimentally determine photon wave functions.
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"abstract": "James Clerk Maxwell unknowingly discovered a correct relativistic, quantum\ntheory for the light quantum, forty-three years before Einstein postulated the\nphoton\u0027s existence. In this theory, the usual Maxwell field is the quantum wave\nfunction for a single photon. When the non-operator Maxwell field of a single\nphoton is second quantized, the standard Dirac theory of quantum optics is\nobtained. Recently, quantum-state tomography has been applied to experimentally\ndetermine photon wave functions.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0604169",
"authors": [
"M. G. Raymer",
"Brian J. Smith"
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"title": "The Maxwell wave function of the photon",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0604169"
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