In 1909 Einstein predicted the wave-particle duality of light, but for more than a hundred years there have been no experiments showing these two states of light at the same time. However, at last , for the first time in history, light has been photographed with both particle and wave properties .
By using electrons to “catch” the motion of light, researchers at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne were able to capture this image. In a little more detail, the researchers fired laser pulses into a nanowire. The wavelengths of light will then travel in two directions along the metal, when the waves meet they will appear to be stationary and when they do, it’s actually a particle.
First photograph of wave-particle duality.
To see how the waves travel, the researchers fired a beam of electrons at the nanotube, which can be visualized as dripping colored water into a river to see the flow. Particles in a light wave will change speed as electrons enter. In this way, the scientists were able to capture the image.