Experimental test of the third quantization of the electromagnetic field

Abstract

Each mode $j$ of the electromagnetic field is mathematically equivalent to a harmonic oscillator described by a wave function ${\psi }_j(x_j)$ in the quadrature representation. An approach was recently introduced in which the wave function ${\psi }_j(x_j)$ was further quantized to produce a field operator ${\hat{\psi }}_j(x_j)$ [J.D. Franson, Phys. Rev. A 104, 063702 (2021)]. This approach allows a generalization of quantum optics and quantum electrodynamics based on an unknown mixing angle $\gamma$ that is somewhat analogous to the Cabibbo angle or the Weinberg angle. The theory is equivalent to conventional quantum electrodynamics if $\gamma =0$, while it predicts a new form of inelastic photon scattering if $\gamma \ne 0$. Here we report the results of an optical scattering experiment that set an upper bound of $\gamma \le 1.93\times 10^{-4}$ at the 99% confidence level, provided that the particles created by the field operator ${\hat{\psi }}_j(x_j)$ have negligible mass. High-energy experiments would be required to test the theory if the mass of these particles is very large.

arXiv comment8 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Particle Dark Matter: Evidence, Candidates and Constraints
• Measurement of the Positive Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment to 0.46 ppm
• The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in the Standard Model
• Mounting Evidence for the Violation of Lepton Flavor Universality
• Generating entangled Schrodinger cat states using a number state and a beam splitter
• Third quantization of the electromagnetic field