Theoretical photon origin, a didactic introduction to the wave particle duality

TL;DR

This paper presents a didactic approach to understanding photon wave-particle duality rooted in special relativity and electromagnetic theory, offering an alternative teaching method for modern physics courses.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective linking photon origin to relativity and symmetry, enhancing conceptual understanding beyond Einstein's photoelectric framework.

Findings

Photon origin is fundamentally linked to special relativity and electromagnetic symmetry.

The approach clarifies wave-particle duality through relativistic electromagnetic wave analysis.

Proposes an alternative teaching method for modern physics courses.

Abstract

In modern physics courses the idea of photon has been teaching through from the einsteinian formulation based on the photoelectric effect. Einstein's photon concept allow the quantization of the electromagnetic field, but does not dwell on the idea of photon as particle. The objective of this paper was to demonstrate that the photon has its origin essentially in the special relativity, the electromagnetic theory and in the symmetry between the Lorentz's transformations associated flat monochromatic electromagnetic waves and particles with zero rest mass. This approach allows to understand the wave-particle duality of photon and allows to propose an alternative teaching focused on this duality to develop the course of modern physics.