sunshaker Posted November 6, 2014 Posted November 6, 2014 Been wondering about light/photons passing through different mediums, I believe light is still c relative to each medium, But from our perspective light is slowed down. I believe light can be slowed to a walking pace through a Bose Einstein condensate, I was wondering if a single photon/beam pulse was passed through a Bose Einstein condensate how would those photons exit condensate?, if one photon was still in condensate and nearest photon as just left condensate returning to c relative to us, would they exit cause a strope effect?(3) Or would photon "stretch?(2) I believe that the photons within condensate may be "spaced", Could you perhaps then pass another photon from different source to fill this gap causing a photon molecule to be released from condensate?(1). I know a photon when it exits will resume at c, just trying to understand the point of exit "half in/half out. Also the effect of the double slit experiment if done inside a Bose Einstein condensate, if the photon is at walking pace?
swansont Posted November 6, 2014 Posted November 6, 2014 Been wondering about light/photons passing through different mediums, I believe light is still c relative to each medium, But from our perspective light is slowed down. If we're in the same reference frame as the object, that's not possible. The propagation of light slows down when it passes through a medium, though the photons travel at c. I believe light can be slowed to a walking pace through a Bose Einstein condensate, It's been done http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/30771-boseeinstein-condensate/
sunshaker Posted November 6, 2014 Author Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) This still does not answer a photon exiting a condensate If we're in the same reference frame as the object, that's not possible. The propagation of light slows down when it passes through a medium, though the photons travel at c. It's been donehttp://www.scienceforums.net/topic/30771-boseeinstein-condensate/ Sorry never seen this but it still does not answer a photon exiting a condensate. http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/30771-boseeinstein-condensate/ found this 3min video,using a BEC to slow down light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK6HxdUQm5s surely a photon that as passed through the condensate that returns to c, would have a head start on the next photon that is still within condensate? Just came across this about creating photon molecules using BEC, Which perhaps answers this for me? I believe that the photons within condensate may be "spaced", Could you perhaps then pass another photon from different source to fill this gap causing a photon molecule to be released from condensate? They’re trying to make a light molecule composed of three photons. http://discovermagazine.com/2014/april/6-how-to-make-light-matter Edited November 6, 2014 by sunshaker
Sensei Posted November 6, 2014 Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) Been wondering about light/photons passing through different mediums, I believe light is still c relative to each medium, But from our perspective light is slowed down. First of all, Refractive Index is not constant in the same medium for different photons. Photons with different energy/frequency/wavelength entering medium can have different RI. f.e. glass is transparent for visible photons (400 nm- 700 nm) and opaque to infra red photons. We can change RI on demand. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerr_effect Secondly, I am also addressing to you what I have said here: http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/86377-where-to-start-with-quantum-theory/?p=835895 Buy stuff mentioned in thread, and start making experiments in the real world. Take container (aquarium), fill with water, or other transparent liquid, and pass through them lasers at different angles and observe where beams will be going. You will be able to calculate RI of medium. Actually it's very spectacular, especially with blue light laser at night. We can see beam of laser how it's passing through water. Edited November 6, 2014 by Sensei
swansont Posted November 6, 2014 Posted November 6, 2014 This still does not answer a photon exiting a condensate To the extent this happens, it is just the reverse of entering the condensate, so you would sort-of be undoing the effect. In this effect,a s with so-called stopped light, the light maintains its phase relation upon exiting the condensate. But the larger picture is that photons are Bosons, so they can overlap with no problem. I believe that the photons within condensate may be "spaced", Could you perhaps then pass another photon from different source to fill this gap causing a photon molecule to be released from No, they aren't. As Sensei mentions, index is wavelength-dependent, so it's entirely possible for one photon to pass another in a medium, but there is no particular spacing they must observe.
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