XPost: sci.physics   
   From: jl@glen--canyon.com   
      
   On Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:47:10 +0100, Jeroen Belleman   
    wrote:   
      
   >On 2/14/26 00:35, Stefan Ram wrote:   
   >> john larkin  wrote or quoted:   
   >>> Single photons sure behave like particles, especially the energetic   
   >>> ones.   
   >>   
   >>    Wave-like interference can be observed in the famous double-slit   
   >>    experiment. Now, what happens when we reduce the intensity of the   
   >>    incoming light to one single photon? We get one single spot on the   
   >>    detector screen! So, does this mean "no wave behavior"? Well, when   
   >>    we repeat this with many single photons, one after the other, in   
   >>    the end, we get the same interference pattern on that screen created   
   >>    by all those dots!   
   >   
   >This is misleading. There is no single-photon gun.   
      
   I recall someone making a laser sort of thing that dispenses a single   
   photon periodically.   
      
   The only thing   
   >you can do is to reduce the light intensity to a level where the   
   >interval between detection events is much longer than the transit   
   >time of EM waves through the setup. This doesn't demonstrate   
   >unequivocally that light consists of discrete photons travelling   
   >from a source to a detector. It just demonstrates that light   
   >*detection* is quantized.   
   >   
   >Experiments that pretend to prove the particle nature of light   
   >invariably use tricks with non-linear optics, coincidence detectors   
   >and statistical foul play. That includes the experiments of Aspect,   
   >Grangier, Zeilinger, Kwiat, Gisin and numerous others.   
   >   
   >Jeroen Belleman   
      
   John Larkin   
   Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center   
   Lunatic Fringe Electronics   
      
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