Trying to break a photon would create a quantum mess

When it comes to making a mess, not even the world’s crumbliest cookie would compare to a photon.

Photons are fundamental particles of light. As fundamental particles, they cannot really be broken down into smaller bits. But physicists have now shown what would happen — in theory — if you tried to crack a photon in half.

You wouldn’t just end up with a second photon, their calculations show. Rather, up to an infinite number of new light particles would sprinkle out of thin air.

Let’s learn about the quantum realm

The researchers shared their findings in a paper that will be published in Physical Review Letters.

Daniele Faccio’s first reaction to the study was: nonsense. “Then you read it, and I enjoyed it,” he says. Faccio is a physicist at the University of Glasgow in Scotland who did not take part in the work. “The technique is legit,” he says. “The results look absolutely reasonable.”

Photon interrupted

The key to the analysis is that photons don’t just act as ...