What happens when you try to chop a photon in half?
A mirror that moves mid-photon could release a shower of new photons.
A photon is a single particle of light, and under normal circumstances, it cannot be divided. However, a photon also does not possess a specific location; it is an extended object. This results in a fascinating scenario when attempting to divide a photon. If a photon is only halfway through reflecting off a perfect mirror and the mirror is abruptly removed, according to a team of Norwegian physicists, the outcome is more intricate than anticipated.
The concept of dividing or combining photons is not a commonplace experience in our lives. Shining a single color of light through glass or reflecting it from a surface generally does not cause photons to divide or combine, which explains why our universe does not resemble a psychedelic LSD trip.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
