Colloquium 2010-04-15

 

3:30 p.m. in Room 307 of the Optical Sciences Meinel Building

Speaker:

Chandra Roychoudhuri
University of Connecticut

Title:

Enhancing Optical Physics by Incorporating the NIW-Principle (Non-Interaction of Waves)

Host:

Carl Maes

 

Abstract:

We identify two fundamental conceptual confusions in current physics, which have been continuing for centuries. First, the NIW (Non-Interaction of Waves) principle – propagating wave forms, in the linear domain, do not interact (interfere) by themselves. When the detecting or detectable medium is present within the volume of the superposed waves, we can observe the superposition effect. For sound, water and other material based waves, the wave manifesting medium itself is observable and the superposition effect becomes obvious to us. But the cosmic tension field (CTF) that manifests light waves, are not directly observable to our current technology. So we insert some detecting materials within the volume of superposition that can interact with all the superposed light waves. The detectors sum the joint stimulations and display the superposition effect. Thus, all superposition effects are necessarily local since any one of the four forces of interaction that is in play, has a finite range for effective influence to generate the measured outcome.

Second, all wave signals necessarily have a space and time finite existence due to conservation of energy. To model actual physical interactions, we must propagate the actual carrier frequencies of the time-finite signal, rather than propagate the time-free Fourier frequencies of the mathematical envelope function. Fourier monochromatic modes of infinite duration necessarily violate causality and energy conservation.

This talk will stay focused on presenting a program plan to revitalize only classical and quantum optics. Our mathematical model employs the two conceptual improvements mentioned above by explicitly recognizing the role of the detectors in summing the multiple stimulations induced by simultaneous presence of multiple waves.

One appreciate these conceptual confusions after developing the missing logical structure for measurements (generally recognized as the "Measurement Problem"). This measurement logic structure facilitates the harmonious connectivity between a precise mathematical theory and the measured data predicted by it. It also reveals that all measurement data provide us with necessarily incomplete information about the interaction under study.

By using these background knowledge, I will demonstrate that the fields of (i) spectroscopy (ii) coherence, (iii) laser mode locking, & (iv) elliptical polarization in classical optics and (v) the physical shape of "photons" (light pulses) in quantum optics, require significant refinements. These refinements reveal that Quantum Mechanics has more reality built into it than the Copenhagen Interpretation has allowed us to believe. These refinements also allow, not only much better understanding of physics, but also pave the way towards invention of many new and better optical instruments.

[Ref. Ch.6 in The nature of light: What is a photon? CRC Press (2008); Eds. C. Roychoudhuri, A. F. Kracklauer & K. Creath.]