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'A mixture from zero to infinity': Physicists split apart a photon

Physicists modeled the effect of intercepting a single photon mid-pulse with an ultra-fast shutter. The theoretical results suggest that attempting to cut the particle does not produce two smaller photons. Instead, it creates a complex state described as an infinite swarm of particles.

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New theoretical research examines the outcome of attempting to divide an elementary particle.

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  1. Theoretical Study Explores Attempting to Split a Photon

    Physicists modeled the effect of intercepting a single photon mid-pulse with an ultra-fast shutter. The theoretical results suggest that attempting to cut the particle does not produce two smaller photons. Instead, it creates a complex state described as an infinite swarm of particles.

    What's confirmed:

    • Elementary particles cannot be broken into smaller pieces by definition.
    • Johannes Skaar and colleagues published a theoretical study in Physical Review Letters regarding the attempt to cut a photon in two.
    • The study indicates that trying to split a photon would conjure an infinite number of photons rather than two smaller ones.
    • The resulting state is described as a mixture from zero to infinity.
    confidence 100%