In a medium that slows down the speed of light, such as diamond, glass, or water, the same photon that enters at point A does not exit at point B. The absorption and re-emission process in the medium causes the photon's direction to change, and the photon's original energy and phase can be affected.
In terms of wavelength, photons of the same wavelength are identical in terms of their properties such as energy, momentum, and frequency. However, when a photon is absorbed and re-emitted in a medium, the phase and direction can be randomized, resulting in a loss of coherence between the original photon and the re-emitted photon.
jimnrd t1_j8hjsue wrote
Reply to Light traveling through a medium that slows it. Does the same photon emerge? by TheGandPTurtle
In a medium that slows down the speed of light, such as diamond, glass, or water, the same photon that enters at point A does not exit at point B. The absorption and re-emission process in the medium causes the photon's direction to change, and the photon's original energy and phase can be affected.
In terms of wavelength, photons of the same wavelength are identical in terms of their properties such as energy, momentum, and frequency. However, when a photon is absorbed and re-emitted in a medium, the phase and direction can be randomized, resulting in a loss of coherence between the original photon and the re-emitted photon.
This effect is known as scattering.