faster-than-c photons

Question

As far as I know, according to quantum field theory, there are some photons that go faster than c, which is the speed of light in vacuum.

However, there seems to be a paper and a corresponding experiment that show every photon obeys the speed limit of c. (http://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.243602)

So, my question is:

1. Is this experiment accepted universally?

2. Regardless of the acceptance of the experiment, if every single photon is shown to obey the speed limit of c, what does this mean for quantum field theory?

Thanks.

Answer 1

As far as I know, according to quantum field theory, there are some photons that go faster than c, which is the speed of light in vacuum.

No, this is not correct. Photons always travel at $c$. This is an accepted fact throughout the physics community, and it is based on many different experiments.

Regardless of the acceptance of the experiment, if every single photon is shown to obey the speed limit of c, what does this mean for quantum field theory?

It means that quantum field theory works - or rather, that it can work. The alternative, that photons might travel faster than $c$, would mean that Lorentz invariance fails, and since QFT relies on that invariance, it would mean that QFT would not be a generally valid theory.

Answer 2

you're terribly mistaken. But i understand the source of your confusion. It is more or less well known, and not from QFT per se, that light can be sped up faster than c IN SOME SENSE and I stress this carefully: ONLY IF YOU CONSIDER "PHASE VELOCITY" as the speed of this light, then it is correct that this can happen. HOWEVER, GROUP VELOCITY (A different concept) is the speed at which any information or physical "pulses" travel. According to relativity (and therefore, also according to QFT) group velocity can never violate the speed limit c. Now, take into account as you look up the definitions of phase velocity and group velocity, that the concept of wave packet is important and essential if you want to talk about group velocity and phase velocity. Also, the experiment you mention in that link says something new but not surprising: a single photon (would you consider it a wave packet?) obeys the speed limit... not much of a punch, anyway...Well, one more remark: there are actually some cases when the group velocity exceeds c but in these cases physical information travels at a lower speed called signal velocity and still obeys the speed limit.