A new theoretical study shows that attempting to divide a photon with a rapidly moving mirror creates a superposition of infinitely many photons instead of shortening the original particle.
Researchers led by Johannes Skaar at the University of Oslo examined what happens when a photon encounters a mirror moving fast enough to reflect only part of its wave-like tail. Quantum equations for the electromagnetic field revealed that the interaction produces a state mixing infinitely many photons due to fluctuations in the quantum vacuum.