Natural Philosophy of Photons: On the Nature of Electromagnetic Waves and Photonic Information

Abstract

This paper reviews humanity’s understanding of the photon, the evolution of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics (QED), and analyzes their physical interpretations and philosophical implications. It seeks to elucidate the true nature of the photon by examining the possibility of hidden variables in the double-slit experiment. The wave-particle duality of the photon, as posited by quantum mechanics, appears to me to be less than entirely convincing. By designing a thought experiment involving a photon double-slit setup, I aim to refute the notion that photons generate Coherence, or so-called wave-function superposition, within the light field between the slits and the screen. This endeavour aims to demonstrate the pure particle nature of photons. Furthermore, by examining the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, this paper explores the intrinsic relationship between electromagnetic waves and photons, positing that electromagnetic waves are fundamentally pure particle-waves. Analysis of QED elucidates the potential influence of photon momentum on photon interactions, an effect that may profoundly impact quantum information transmission. To comprehensively describe the mathematical model of photon queues, this paper introduces the concept of a photon train. This metaphor likens photons travelling through space to a train in motion. The distance between carriages is denoted by (d), representing the wavelength of the photon。 Within the “particle train” model of the photon queue, the wavelength λ is defined as the distance d between adjacent photons. This yields a structural
equivalence between wavelength λ and photon spacing The longer the wavelength (smaller f), the greater the distance d between
photons (corresponding to radio waves, where photons are “sparsely” dispersed). The shorter the wavelength (larger f), the closer the distance d between photons (corresponding to X-rays or γ-rays, where photons are “focused”). f represents the frequency of light. In standard physics, frequencyf is typically defined as the number of oscillations of an electromagnetic field per unit time, expressed by the relationship: E=hf . This is directly linked to the energy of a photon. However, although mathematically and experimentally complete, this definition obscures the intuitive informational structure of frequency. In this paper, we introduce a longitudinally structured interpretation: viewing frequency as the manifestation of “front-to-back density” or “longitudinal spacing” of light quanta along their propagation direction. This understanding does not replace the standard physical definition but operates in parallel to reveal frequency’s deeper significance in energy transmission and information organization. For simplicity, we denote this approach as the “photon queue/longitudinal serialization (PQ/LS) model”. PQ/LS denotes the theoretical framework of the photon queue model. A thought experiment on the conversion rate of quantum information into biological information reveals that, under identical light intensity (equivalent total energy input), the response of living systems is not solely determined by the I, but strongly depends on the spatial arrangement of the photon queue (where λ approximates the inter-photon distance).Bacterial-level matching of visible-light queues achieves the highest information-transmission efficiency (maximum mutual information and signal-to-noise ratio), thereby enabling dual optimization of energy utilization and rhythmic synchronization. This constitutes the core prediction of the model (PQ/LS): frequency (queue spacing), rather than total power (I) alone, determines the conversion efficiency of quantum information into biological information. The paper explores the non-wave-particle duality of photons through double-slit experiments and double-slit observer experiments. The essence of photons is purely particle-like. The thought experiment of the photon double-slit is pivotal in demonstrating that photons, like other particles such as electrons, atoms, and macromolecules, are purely particle-like. In space, photons can interfere with each other’s paths based on their momentum. This can simultaneously alter the trajectory and even the velocity of photons. That is, a photon beam with higher momentum may carry a portion with lower momentum, allowing it to propagate over vast distances. The wavelength of a light wave is fundamentally the distance between consecutive photons as they propagate through space. The longer the wavelength of a light wave, the greater the distance between successive photons, causing them to diverge more widely in space, as observed with radio waves. Conversely, shorter wavelengths result in closer distances between photons, leading to denser emission and highly directional propagation, exemplified by gamma rays. Photons within the visible-light spectrum may occasionally transmit information that carries specific content. This information, conveyed through light quanta, can propagate over distances ranging from several metres to thousands of kilometres. The essence of light quanta: particle queues (PQ/LS) and the profound meaning of frequency: light is fundamentally a sequence of light quanta (photons) advancing in spatial order. Regardless of whether the propagation path is straight or curved, the propagation maintains this queued formation, akin to a continuous jet of water. Within this model (PQ/LS), the wavelength λ of light observed macroscopically fundamentally represents the average distance between successive light quanta. The frequency f (or ν) is inversely proportional to this distance: the closer two light quanta are, the higher the frequency f; the greater the distance, the lower the frequency f. It can be expressed through the classical wave velocity formula: c=fλ. Within the visible spectrum, λ≈0.5×10-⁶ metres (500 nanometres). Remarkably, this distance corresponds precisely to the typical dimensions of bacteria (approximately 0.5–5 micrometres). The evolutionary tree of life takes bacteria as its root, while the wavelength of visible light—the fundamental scale for human vision and quantum information interaction—aligns exactly with this root-level dimension. As the product of billions of years of bacterial evolution, our human perception, communication, and even consciousness may possess an intrinsic connection to this “bacterial-scale” queue distance of light quanta. Philosophically, this unification reveals a grander picture: the frequency-distance relationship of the light quantum queue (PQ/LS) not only As an information carrier, light transforms energy (E = hf) into biological signals, genetic expression, and even the emergence of consciousness—from photons stimulating retinal cells to potential quantum biological processes (such as quantum coherence in photosynthesis or brain microtubules), light weaves an information network between the microscopic and macroscopic realms. Bacterial circadian rhythms, particularly the KaiABC system in cyanobacteria, function as living fossils: they document how visible light quantum queues (PQ/LS) were transformed into ordered biological information programmes during life’s earliest stages. This experimental finding not only validates the functional significance of scale consistency but illuminates the earliest step in the evolutionary path from light to meaning—within the unicellular world, light ceased to be mere energy, becoming instead the language of time and the rhythm of information. The relatively poor correlation between archaea and most bacteria in circadian rhythms
and responses to visible light, from another perspective, suggests that archaea and bacteria did not originate on Earth but rather within protoplanetary discs or planetesimals. These archaea and bacteria can survive in the harshest natural environments, unaffected by Earth’s 24-hour circadian rhythms or visible light. It further substantiates my published theory that life did not originate on Earth. From the bacterial scale to the scale of consciousness: information density remains operative. Within the Photon Quantum Queue Model (PQ/LS), the wavelength of visible light (~0.5 μm interphoton spacing) aligns remarkably with the bacterial scale, suggesting that the informational “foundation” of life’s origin is set by the interphoton spacing. As we ascend from single-celled bacteria (scale 0.5–5 μm) to multicellular organisms, nervous systems, and ultimately human consciousness (neuronal scale ~10–100 μm, brain as a whole ~0.1 m), a central question emerges: does this information density, originating from the photon quantum distance, continue to operate at higher scales, bridging microscopic origins with macroscopic awareness? From bacteria to conscious scales: Implications of information density for SETI and the search for extraterrestrial life. An intuitive interpretation of light’s nature: Mainstream quantum electrodynamics (QED) views photons as quantum field excitations, where wavelength λ represents the phase oscillation scale associated with a single photon, not the physical distance between multiple photons. This theory deliberately adopts a semi-classical “particle queue” image, directly correlating λ with the average distance between adjacent photons. While not strictly valid in weak-light or single-photon experiments, the theory challenges the orthodoxy that “wavelength is solely a property of individual photons.” The theory’s stance can be summarized as one of maximizing continuity and wholeness within strict scientific boundaries. Our challenge lies in rejecting the compartmentalization of the quantum realm, the origins of life, the evolution of consciousness, and cosmic habitability into isolated modules, and instead insisting on information density as the unifying thread. QED posits that Coherence arises from the superposition of electromagnetic fields, not photon-photon interactions. However, this paper contends that QED’s theory is flawed. We propose that interference stems from interactions between light quanta. Such interactions not only explain the outcomes of the double-slit and double-slit observer experiments but also reveal the intrinsic nature of light’s quantum information transmission. Spatial interactions between photon beams: This paper posits that higher-momentum photon beams partially alter the spatial trajectories—and even the velocities—of lower-momentum beams. This constitutes one of the core tenets of this work. Specifically, when a high-momentum photon beam influences a lowmomentum counterpart, some of the latter’s photons exhibit a momentary “hesitation” before deciding whether to follow the high-momentum beam’s path (E = PC = hf). Here, we assume the speed of light C and Planck’s constant h are constants (though in reality, the speed of light C may not necessarily be a constant – an issue I shall address in future articles). Under these conditions, the energy of light is determined by its momentum and the frequency of the photon. The factor that plays the substantive role is, in fact, the frequency f. This conclusion appears to differ little in essence from QED. The higher the frequency f of a photon, the closer the spatial interval d between preceding and succeeding photons. High-energy photons, determined by their frequency f, possess greater momentum. When encountering lower-energy (E), lower-frequency (f), and thus lower-momentum (P) photons in space, they exert influence upon the trajectory of these lower-momentum photons. That is, high-energy photons exert a spatial influence on the trajectory of low-energy photons. (This includes, but is not limited to, causing some low-energy photons to follow the path of high-energy photons, thereby altering their motion trajectories.) The above conclusion differs fundamentally from QED theory. The Photon Queue Model (PQ/LS) integrates photons with information and life information. Here, we must further substantiate the validity of this theory (PQ/LS) and highlight the deficiencies of QED, thereby laying the groundwork for the subsequent chapter on photon information transmission. The issue highlighted by PQ/LS is not computational error within QED, but rather that QED has, from its inception, abandoned consideration of the “longitudinal structural problem of light propagation”. We can state unequivocally: QED lacks a “longitudinal information structure of light”; frequency = the energy label of a single photon; it does not address “the arrangement of photons along the propagation direction”; nor does it discuss “the temporal density
between preceding and succeeding photons”. The QED photon is composed of discrete events, probability amplitudes, and statistical aggregates. It is not: an object possessing an intrinsic sequential structure along its propagation direction. The core innovation of the “Photonic Quantum Queue Model” (PQ/LS) lies not in metaphor, but in structure. The key proposition of PQ/LS is not that “photons are small spheres”, but that light possesses a “longitudinal sequential structure” along its propagation direction. Light is not a “simultaneously existing cluster of photons,” but rather a sequence of light quanta continuously generated/manifested along the propagation direction. This directly introduces a quantity not previously introduced in QED: d”photon” (longitudinal emergence spacing, structural density). Why do photons necessarily interact in the PQ/LS model? Within the PQ/LS framework, this is not an “additional assumption” but an inevitable inference. The pivotal logical chain is that light quanta are not isolated; they form sequences along the propagation direction. These sequences exhibit density variations (frequency differences). When sequences of differing densities encounter each other spatially, higher-density sequences yield greater structural stability, while lower-density sequences yield lesser stability. Consequently, high-frequency (high-momentum) light quantum queues will bias the paths of low-frequency (low-momentum) light quantum queues.

Why does the PQ/LS model provide a natural explanation for the double-slit experiment and its observer problem? Within the PQ/LS framework, the double-slit does not arise from photons coherence with themselves (as in QED). Instead, it stems from the formation of stable/unstable longitudinal alignment regions of photon queues within space. When introducing “path information”, the measuring apparatus does not act as an abstract projection. Rather, it introduces new photon sequences or structural perturbations that disrupt the original longitudinal order. The disappearance of Coherence equates to the disruption of structural order, not a “conscious collapse”. Why is the PQ/LS model more viable for “photon information transmission”? In QED, the concept of information is quantified by statistical correlations in measurement outcomes. In the PQ/LS model, information equates to the structural state of photon sequences. It yields three decisive advantages: information is “physically” present in longitudinal spacing; it resides in sequence stability; it exists within path bias. Information can be “transmitted”; high-frequency beams alter the path probability of low-frequency beams; direct absorption/scattering is unnecessary; it permits “non-destructive information influence”; information possesses directionality and hierarchy; higher momentum influences lower momentum; high structural density dominates low-density structures. QED stands as an extraordinarily successful ‘lateral statistical theory’, yet it never established the ‘longitudinal structural physics of light propagation’. The Photon-Queue/Longitudinal Serialization (PQ/LS) model, however, unifies ‘frequency-momentum-information-path bias’ within a longitudinal causal framework for the first time. This constitutes not a ‘patch’ to QED, but rather the completion of a layer of structural reality deliberately avoided beneath QED. The Photon-Queue Model (PQ/LS) constitutes a distinct family of thought experiments clearly distinguishable from QED. These experiments require: a clear experimental structure; quantifiable, testable predictions of differences; estimable scales for effect magnitude; and a focus not on the long-standing issue of “light-light scattering” but on the longitudinal structure-path bias effect proposed within PQ/LS. The Photon-Queue Model (PQ/LS) demonstrates that light’s information resides not only in transverse field states but also in longitudinal structures along its propagation direction – namely, the photon queue as an information structure. The physical definition of information, as established in this chapter, is structural differences that can be preserved, transferred, and that influence dynamical outcomes during propagation. Within the Photon-Queue Model (PQ/LS), this structural difference manifests as longitudinal spacing distribution, serialization stability, and structural density gradient. Consequently, information is independent of observation or encoding schemes. The true mathematical formulation of the Photon-Queue/Longitudinal Serialization (PQ/LS) model has three objectives: to provide clear dynamical variables (not metaphors); to formulate the minimal expression for the “photon-photon interaction term” (which does not exist in QED); and to derive directly from the equations an observable: the angular shift Δθ. QED is not “disproved” by experiments or computations, but is constrained by its own modelling premises within a theoretical space that excludes variables from the PQ/LS model. Thus, QED’s “silence” regarding the Photon Queue Model (PQ/LS) constitutes not negation but inexpressibility. The Photon Queue Model (PQ/LS) introduces a degree of freedom explicitly absent in standard quantum electrodynamics (QED): the longitudinal structural freedom (LSDF) of light along its propagation direction. Its degree of freedom is characterized by the spatiotemporal spacing of photon events along the propagation direction and their statistical distribution. Discussion of the Physical Origin of the Photon Queue Longitudinal Structural Freedom (LSDF) Within this theoretical framework, the core feature of the photon queue is its longitudinal structural freedom (LSDF) along the propagation direction—namely, the ordered sequential arrangement defined by the queue density ρ=f/c and phase ϕ. This longitudinal structural degree of freedom (LSDF) is not a mere appendage of classical electromagnetic waves, but rather one of the most fundamental degrees of freedom inherent in the quantum nature of light. This chapter rigorously explores the physical origins of this degree of freedom, revealing its inevitability and uniqueness from multiple perspectives encompassing quantum field theory, relativity, and information physics. The longitudinal structural degree of freedom (LSDF) of the light quantum queue originates from: the relativistic light cone constraint arising from the masslessness of photons; the regular structure of gauge field quantization in travelling wave modes; and the physical necessity of stable transmission of quantum information in vacuum. It is not an accessory property of light, but the most direct manifestation of light’s quantum nature along the propagation direction. High frequencies correspond to high-density queues, signifying not merely high energy but also denser information structures. Within the vacuum, the longitudinal structure of the photonic quantum queue is the sole degree of freedom capable of maintaining absolute stability over infinite distances. Lateral modes disperse due to diffraction, whereas polarization can be decohered by the environment; the longitudinal queue density and phase are strictly conserved in non-absorbing media. Therefore, from the perspective of optimal information transmission, the longitudinal structural degrees of freedom (LSDF) of photonic quantum queues must be elevated to the primary information carrier—this constitutes the fundamental physical basis for light’s role as the most efficient information transmission medium in the cosmos. Physical Significance of Longitudinal Structure—A Theoretical Self-Consistency Analysis Based on the Photonic Quantum Queue Model (PQ/LS). Should the longitudinal structure of light carry no independent physical information, any discussion concerning structural entropy, structural entanglement, or structural information transfer would be fundamentally undefined. Yet within the Photonic Quantum Queue model (PQ/LS), these quantities are not only definable but constitute a closed, self-consistent system of information dynamics. Longitudinal structure provides a class of physical information channels in quantum optics theory that are independent of field amplitudes. The existence of this structure is not a product of mathematical formalism but a substantive feature with profound physical significance. Quantum entanglement has long been regarded as one of the most counterintuitive phenomena in quantum mechanics. Traditional theoretical frameworks describe entangled states as non-separable quantum states of many-body systems, attributing correlations during measurement to so-called “superluminal effects”. However, this description harbours profound conceptual difficulties, implying that information is attached to individual particles and that measurement triggers instantaneous non-local effects. This paper proposes a novel theoretical perspective based on the photon-queue model, fundamentally reconstructing our understanding of the essence of entanglement. Traditional quantum mechanics views entanglement as a nonlocal correlation, emphasizing its “uselessness” for information transmission—namely, that entanglement itself cannot be used for superluminal communication. Yet this perspective overlooks another form of information: structural information. Quantum entanglement itself does not enable controllable information transmission; conversely, the photon-queue (longitudinal serialization), as a structural degree of freedom in propagation, can, in principle, be associated with specific information transmission. Quantum entanglement correlates “rules of association” (probability distributions),
whereas the longitudinal structure of photon queues correlates “sequences of events” causal/temporal patterns). The latter indeed provides a potential channel for transmitting specific information, such as causal relationships or sequential signals. This “train derailment” analogy can be systematically constructed into a theoretical model with testable physical implications. Core thesis: Quantum entanglement indicates that information is not attached to individual photons but resides within the correlated structure of the entire photonic queue. The photonic queue transcends the single-photon paradigm. The physical significance of queue structure: In standard quantum optics, light fields are typically described as superpositions of transverse modes. Yet light propagation inherently possesses longitudinal sequential characteristics: photons do not exist in isolation, but form queues in temporal sequences; the longitudinal structure of the queue carries structural degrees of freedom independent of field amplitudes; these structural degrees of freedom can encode information, thereby forming irreducible physical channels. The irreducibility of the longitudinal structure provides another class of physical information channels independent of field amplitudes. If the longitudinal structure were entirely devoid of physical significance, it would be impossible to define structural entropy during propagation; it would be impossible to discuss structural entanglement; it would be impossible to discuss structural information transfer. The information-theoretic interpretation of measurement, from entanglement to entropy increase, posits that measurement does not “trigger non-local interactions”. The standard interpretation holds that measuring one particle in an entangled pair “instantly” affects the state of the other particle. This description readily leads to misunderstandings about non-locality. The structural information perspective argues that measurement does not trigger non-local interactions; rather, it forces the information structure to be distributed between the local system and its environment, thereby irreversibly increasing entropy. Localized Entropy Increase Effect: In the photonic quantum queue framework, the total information of an entangled state resides in the queue’s correlated structure. Measurement disrupts this global structure, “compressing” information into localized degrees of freedom. Owing to the conservation of information, this process necessarily entails an increase in entropy within environmental degrees of freedom. The location of this entropy increase depends on the queue structure’s points of fragility, not the measurement point itself. Much like a train derailing at its rear, localized entropy increase does not necessarily occur at the “measured” photon but at the point within the queue where structural interference is weakest or coupling to the environment is strongest. The minimal effective Hamiltonian represents a crucial step in transforming PQ/LS from “an intriguing concept” into “a rigorous scientific theory”. It provides a preliminary yet rigorous theoretical framework and experimental roadmap for exploring humanity’s most profound mysteries of connection—from telepathy to collective intelligence. It reveals that, if minds can indeed be perceived, it is not by magic but through novel physical interactions based on quantum structural resonance. The rules governing these interactions are encoded within this seemingly simple Hamiltonian.