In the previous article I described how antennae work in terms of EM waves. But EM isn’t exactly a wave. Quantum aspects require modeling as particles. Photons. But I can’t really figure out how a photon traveling through space gets converted into an electron current in a wire. There are some cases where treating EM as waves really seems simpler.
But there are probably places where considering it as particles matters too. Like, maybe, the EM drive. Multiple independent tests have confirmed that this device, simply by bouncing microwaves around inside a specially-shaped resonator, produces thrust. Huh?
A new paper suggests a theoretical model where this doesn’t violate Newton’s 3rd law. But the explanation involves paired up out-of-phase photons. Are there existing technologies or experiments where this phenomonon takes place?
I wonder if it’s analogous in any way to how electrons pair up to manifest superconductivity… Would love to hear from the Physics crowd. Add your comment below.
