Question

will photons carry information

Answer 1

pardon? is it "can they carry information during their displacement?" or "can they carry coded information in a sequence?"

Answer 2

both of the above

Answer 3

well, the second question I know as the data can be coded by an encoder as photon pulses and transmitted through fiber optic cables or laser pulse communication systems and then decoded back to the original data by a decoder... this is the basic principle as both encoder and decoder must have same algorithm for coding...

as in the first question, which is similar to carrying information as in DNA replication by cells in out body, I guess nature communicates to us through a natural encoder, which we have not yet found a proper decoder... i.e., the spectrum from distant stars and the interference pattern produced by the crossing planets in many solar systems and the spectrum shift of the galaxies have enabled us to predict the physical nature, relative position, displacement, mass and even the capability to produce and sustain life... so we have communication between humans through the second type and we are trying to communicate and listen to nature through the first type of question...

we need a decoder bro... with nature's algorithm... Kudos.

Answer 4

everything in this universe contains information, including photon. by default, they all have some natural information which identifies their natural identity.
However, as we progress technologically, we can mount our own information over them.

Taking photons for example, when we perform a proton-proton fusion reaction, the energy released is in the form of gamma ray photons. Now, when a third observer observes these photons, they can always deduce this information i.e the frequency of the photon.

However, there are limits to what we can change on a photon. We can not alter the frequency or the energy of an individual photon. That is its fundamental identity.

Also, on the whole, when you talk about light wave, we already carry so much information over it using frequency, amplitude and many other types of modulations.

Answer 5

few people say as photon is a particle and others say it is a wave. But how it is possible for a photon tobe both as particle and a wave.

Answer 6

The dual nature of the photon is based on our observations. quantum mechanics tells us that a lot of times what we observe is based on how we observe. and thats what is manifested from a photon.
experiments testing its wave characterestics find it as a wave - confirming to diffraction, interference etc. while phenomena testing its particle characterestics find it as a particle like the photoelectric effect.
How can it be both ? thats the essence of quantum mechanical theory. we choose to believe thats the case until we find some other more credible explanation

quantum thoery states - each quantum entity has dual potential properties, which become an actual characteristic if and when it is observed

so it all depends on how we observe something.
in a way, if you think about it, this is quite amazing.
That the universe will manifest itself to you, depending on the way you look at it.

Answer 7

Great. If photon has dual nature then can we assume atom, molecule etc.. also have some dual nature.

Answer 8

yes, although the duality becomes more and more diminished as we approach a bigger scale

Answer 9

i recognize electron as a particle. is that true that electron had some other nature of its recognition as some other manner of its existence.

Answer 10

electron shows wave-particle duality too.
you already know that electron is a particle, as depicted by its discovery using the cathode ray tube.
Its wave nature was illustrated using the double slit experiment. here 2 slits spaced a little distance apart, recieved electrons that were travelling in a straight line towards the two slits.
If electron was only a particle, the screen behind the slit would have detected electrons at places exactly behind the 2 slits.
however, this was not the case. on the contrary, electrons were also detected at multiple places away from the slits, and the pattern looked just like how you would find in wave interference. remember fringe lines ? exact same thing. our only conclusion, it should be wave in this case.
hence the duality.

Answer 11

thank you

Answer 12

you're welcome