Are there interpretations of the single and double slit experiments, which discuss interactions between photons in transit, between the slits and the screen?
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Since you can do either one photon at a time, no… – Jon Custer Aug 21 '22 at 15:21
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There is one important fact to keep in mind. Even when the double slit experiment is performed with one photon at a time, the same interference pattern forms that is seen when photons supposedly "interact". – David White Aug 21 '22 at 15:24
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1Real photons do not interact with each other. The classical photons cancelling in the DSE is very historical/misleading ... but still taught. In the DSE the excited electron generates forces in the EM field with what we call virtual photons, this happens before real photon emission ... and is the reason photons prefer certain paths ..... i.e. they guide the photon to make the pattern. – PhysicsDave Aug 21 '22 at 17:38
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@PhysicsDave, Re, "photons do not interact with each other." Actually, they can interact, but (a) it happens with very low probability, and (b) it has nothing to do with diffraction or interference patterns. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_physics – Solomon Slow Aug 21 '22 at 18:42
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1@SolomonSlow yes but the photons are annihilated ... and new ones created. Not really a simple interaction, a very special situation and so rare we can ignore it at this level. – PhysicsDave Aug 22 '22 at 02:02
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Here is an interpretation: Can the intensity distribution behind edges and slits be explaint by the interaction with the surface electrons of the edges? – HolgerFiedler Aug 23 '22 at 04:56