photon

American  

[foh-ton] / ˈfoʊ tɒn /

noun

1. a quantum of electromagnetic radiation, usually considered as an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle and that has zero rest mass and charge and a spin of one. γ

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photon British  

/ ˈfəʊtɒn /

noun

1. a quantum of electromagnetic radiation, regarded as a particle with zero rest mass and charge, unit spin, and energy equal to the product of the frequency of the radiation and the Planck constant

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photon Scientific  

/ fō′tŏn′ /

1. The subatomic particle that carries the electromagnetic force and is the quantum of electromagnetic radiation. The photon has a rest mass of zero, but has measurable momentum, exhibits deflection by a gravitational field, and can exert a force. It has no electric charge, has an indefinitely long lifetime, and is its own antiparticle.

2. See Note at electromagnetic radiation See Table at subatomic particle

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photon Cultural  

1. The quantum, or bundle of energy, in which light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation are emitted. (See atom.)

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Etymology

Origin of photon

First recorded in 1900–05; phot- + -on ¹

Example Sentences

By carefully controlling a photon's spatial pattern, timing, and spectrum, the team can design what are known as structured photons.

From Science Daily

This allowed photons to circulate longer within the resonator and interact more intensely.

From Science Daily

The researchers also determined that generating a non zero SKR, which is essential for secure communication, requires increasing the average number of photons transmitted.

From Science Daily

When electrons absorb a photon and are emitted from a material, they carry information encoded in their spin.

From Science Daily

“Over even short distances, transmitting data with photons is three times as efficient as electrons,” says Wendell Weeks, Corning’s chief executive since 2005, who came from the fiber-optic division.

From The Wall Street Journal