Year: 2020
Type: preprint
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to critically examine claims that it is possible to construct point-localized state vectors for the photon. We supply a brief proof of the impossibility of this. Then it is found that the authors making these claims use a non-standard scalar product, not equal to the quantum-mechanical one. This alternative scalar product is found to be proportional to a Dirac delta function in position for the state vectors they use, but the remaining elements of the proof, namely satisfying all three Newton-Wigner criteria, are lacking.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Hoffmann, Scott E.
Institution: The University of Queensland
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3031591469