Physics
Radical photon idea could rewrite standard model of particle physics
Experiments with hydrogen atoms could soon reveal whether particles that were long thought to be forbidden by physics actually do exist
By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
12 May 2025
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Photons could upend the standard model of particle physicsEduard Muzhevskyi/Alamy
If photons possess more quantum states than expected, it would overhaul our understanding of all particle physics – and now physicists have identified a way to test this radical idea in an experiment.
Read moreWhy the laws of physics don't actually exist
Certain elementary particles have a property called spin. For particles of light, or photons, spin can be in one of two potential states, which manifests as the light being polarised in one of two directions. But what if photons had more options – what if they…
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