2026/07/25 by Chao‐Fei Liu
paper · doi:10.1002/andp.70263
ABSTRACT In this study, we propose a formula to characterize the mechanical properties of microscopic particles from the particle‐wave interaction perspective, defining the corresponding interaction as a velocity‐perpendicular interaction force. Traditional single‐slit diffraction is mainly explained by wave theory and the Huygens–Fresnel principle. However, the single‐photon momentum recoil in diffraction suggests that it is feasible to decouple the particle and wave natures of both photons and the slit, thereby exploring the interaction force between them in depth. We find that photons at different positions inside the slit experience velocity‐perpendicular interaction force, leading to net interaction time differences related to their distances to the slit edges. Based on wave‐particle duality, the modulation quantity formed by the interaction force, net interaction time, slit scale, and Planck constant exerts an on‐off modulation effect. Within this model, photons form clear diffraction fringes, which are rigorously verified to be fully consistent with the Huygens–Fresnel principle. This work provides a dynamical reinterpretation of single‐slit diffraction and establishes a mechanical framework for quantitatively describing quantum phenomena involving particle‐wave interaction.