On: Newly observed optical state could enable quantum computing with photons

[kgwgk]

Edit: maybe I didn't understand what is the "incorrect, but widely held view" you talked about.

[mjburgess → kgwgk]

Yes, the electronic structure of a crystalline material.

That is one dimension of the "optical dielectric function" which is to do with the directionality of variation.

Light is the motion of magnetic and electric fields, the "ease" of this motion is affected by a variety of factors.

The speed of light depends not only on electric, but also magnetic field formation. And of each kind, there are a variety factors.

The vacuum itself resits electromagnetic motion to some degree. I was observing that it isnt the case that light simply has one speed, the field in which it travels itself is damped.

[kgwgk → mjburgess]

Ok, probably you will agree with the "Speed of light through glass is ~2e5 km/s, but photons are still travelling at 3e5 km/s."

I guess you object to the "The speed of light, that is the speed of a photon, is a constant" part, where he identifies "light" with "photons".

[comboy → kgwgk]

Wow, I've been afk for a day and you answered so many comments, thank you, I've learned something. And yes, I should have left the speed of light out of the last sentence, my bad.

[kgwgk → comboy]

To be fair, the speed of a free photon is c but when the photon is interacting it may not make sense to keep talking about its intrinsic speed.

In any case, I feel objections to what you said should come from a “better” QED description and not from a “lower-level” classical description.