As a wave function (a single quantum of field excitation) enters a refractory medium, does it begin to refract only after the entire wavelength has entered or does the leading edge of the wavelength exhibit refraction before the entire wave function has entered? I realize this is all happening in a Planck time but has any experiment been devised to show exactly when refraction begins?
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I suppose I could ask, is it required that any single quantum of field excitation in one medium fully decohere before its state is translated to another medium? Or are there intermediary stages that "build" toward full translation? – Anomalous Howard Jan 26 '17 at 19:29
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If you were talking a single photon there is no wave. Also there's no guarantee the photon will continue through the medium. It may be absorbed on the first surface and then re-emitted in the opposite direction. – Bill Alsept Jan 26 '17 at 21:02
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Assuming it IS absorbed does the "absorption" occur as a discrete instantaneous event or is it absorbed as a gradient?? – Anomalous Howard Jan 26 '17 at 21:19
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An electron would be instantly raised to a higher energy level followed by a new photon being instantly emitted in a random direction. It would take millions or billions of coherent photons to resemble a wave. – Bill Alsept Jan 26 '17 at 21:24
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Thanks for clarifying photon vs wave. That's not really what I was concerned with. So you're saying that the quantum state of the photon as it exists in the plancktime before it strikes the medium is retranslated in the energy state of an emmitance in a discrete manner. I would assume that prior to being emitted, an excitation has instantly occurred upon an electron on the surface of the medium and it is THAT new quantum state of the electron which is emitted as a field excitation. Is there any time intervening between that last plancktime BEFORE striking the surface and the emittance? – Anomalous Howard Jan 26 '17 at 21:40
