In the double-slit experiment, the outcome—the interference pattern—is the same whether you fire photons individually or as a continuous beam. The difference is, individually, you’re spreading the process out over time. Just as in relativity, the observer in motion measures the same speed of light, but over a “longer” time.
You need to fire X number of individual photons to get a recognizable pattern, and a steady beam has to shine for X minutes to emit an identical number of photons.
X photons/time=interference pattern.
For example, for single photons, X photons/30 minutes (or whatever) = interference pattern. This is a timelike light wave—spreading the wave across time, i.e. the wave emerges over time.
Conversely, X photons/1 nanosecond (or whatever, just much less time)=interference pattern. This is a spacelike light wave—the wave exists all at once in space.
A timelike light wave has particulate properties, whereas a spacelike light wave has wave-like properties.
So light requires a certain number of photons to take on wave-like properties. The wave nature of light is thus an emergent property of the large number of photons. Just like with a gas—one atom does not a gas make. A gas is an emergent property of a large number of particles and temperature acting in concert.
Light wave = photons + time
Gas= particles + temperature
Can the kinetic theory of gases be applied to light?
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