On the Wave Function of the Photon

1994/07/01 by Iwo Białynicki‐Birula · 9 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Bridging (networking) #Classical electromagnetism #Computer science #Distribution function #Electromagnetic radiation #Electromagnetism #Function (biology) #Geophysics and Sensor Technology #Phase space #Photon #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Wave function #Wigner distribution function

paper · pdf · doi:10.12693/aphyspola.86.97

openalex publication_date 1994/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

It is shown that tle wave function of the ploton is a very useful concept with interesting ramifications. It plays a major role in bridging the gap between classica theory of electromagnetism and quantum electrodynamics. The photon wave function can also be used to construct a phase-space distribution for the photon (Wigner function) that describes the transport of radiation.

Citations

• The quantum theory of the electron
• Classical Electrodynamics
• Spinors and Space-Time

Cited by

• Photon wave functions
• V Photon Wave Function
• Solutions of the Maxwell equations and photon wave functions
• Storming Majorana's Tower with OAM states of light in a plasma
• Beams of electromagnetic radiation carrying angular momentum: The Riemann–Silberstein vector and the classical–quantum correspondence
• Spectral Shearing of Quantum Light Pulses by Electro-Optic Phase Modulation
• Interaction between light and matter: a photon wave function approach
• Visualizing the emission of a single photon with frequency and time resolved spectroscopy
• Photon [wikipedia]