How do molecules bubble off a photon? After being excited by a photon, an electron of a photoactive molecule jumps to a higher electronic state. When it relaxes, the molecule emits a photon (in simple terms). How is this photon "generated"? Photons are particle/waves, right? So somehow this particle has to form. I picture it in a way similar to when you blow through a ring of soap-water and a bubble forms.
How does the photon really form?
 A: It is a quantum mechanical process. One could go on an explanation with photon creation and annihilation operators , but  there is not much intuition into that.
One can start classically, an accelerating charge radiates an electromagnetic wave. The Bohr atom was proposed, i.e. the quantization of energy levels, in order to explain why a circulating electron would not radiate its energy away and fall into the nucleus. What the Bohr model does, instead of the electron radiating continuously, it can only radiate in quanta of electromagnetic energy , when falling into an empty energy level. Otherwise it is in a stable orbit ( Bohr model has orbits). This quantum of electromagnetic energy is called a photon. It is a quantum mechanical entity, sometimes appearing as a particle and sometimes when in large numbers building up the classical electromagnetic wave.
In the Schrodinger equation solution of the hydrogen atom the same logic holds, except the electron is in an orbital and not an orbit.
A: As far as I know, quantum mechanics / quantum electrodynamics doesn't have an answer to your question.  It can tell you that it does happen, how often, where, under what conditions, the energy of the photon, etc, but as to the detailed step-by-step mechanism, such as we are used to in ordinary everyday experience, quantum mechanics is silent.  Frustrating, isn't it? 
