The Maxwell wave function of the photon (Invited Paper)

M. G. Raymer; Brian J. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.619359

4 August 2005 The Maxwell wave function of the photon (Invited Paper)

M. G. Raymer, Brian J. Smith

Proceedings Volume 5866, The Nature of Light: What Is a Photon?; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.619359
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

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.

Citation Download Citation

M. G. Raymer and Brian J. Smith "The Maxwell wave function of the photon (Invited Paper)", Proc. SPIE 5866, The Nature of Light: What Is a Photon?, (4 August 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.619359

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