The first direct visualization of the shape of a photon has been created. These particles of light are impossible to photograph, but physicists at the University of Birmingham have now calculated their wave function to produce an accurate image of a photon as it’s emitted.

A new theory that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.

A new theory, that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.