# Photon dynamics in the double-slit experiment

The dynamics of photons in the double-slit experiment describes the relationship between classical electromagnetic waves and photons, the quantum counterpart of classical electromagnetic waves, in the context of the double-slit experiment. Superficially, it may look like the dynamics of a photon can be completely described by the classical Maxwell’s equations with only a reinterpretation of the classical field as a probability amplitude for the photon, however this notion is fraught with danger and ultimately leads to contradictions. One should not simply assume that the electromagnetic fields are a wave-function for the photon. For one thing, they are real and thus contain both positive and negative frequency components, which cannot be reconciled with the requirement for Schroedinger wavefunctions which are complex, positive frequency only. In addition, the electromagnetic fields are observable (e.g. with an oscilloscope) while Schroedinger wavefunctions are not observable, even in principle. Clearly, then, the fields are not wavefunctions, are physical, observable fields, rather than merely what you take the modulus-square of to obtain the probability of finding a photon somewhere. The existence of some “wavefunction of the photon” is not a fully settled issue.

— Wikipedia on Photon dynamics in the double-slit experiment

2010.01.17 Sunday ACHK