Generalizing the quantized-interaction viewpoint to beam-splitter interference

Determine how the proposed quantized-interaction framework for diffraction and double-slit interference, in which the momentum distribution of particles is set by local quantized exchanges at the scatterer, extends to interference phenomena involving optical beam splitters by developing a quantum mechanical description of beam splitters as active participants in photon interactions that reproduces the observed interference behavior without relying on wave-overlap at detection.

Background

The paper argues that apparent wave behavior in quantum interference and diffraction can be explained by quantized local interactions between particles and periodically structured scatterers, rather than by assigning physical reality to de Broglie waves, which the authors note are not covariant as lengths in relativity. The Kapitza–Dirac effect and an angular double-slit experiment with photon orbital angular momentum are presented as evidence that discrete exchange processes can yield interference-like patterns, and the momentum distribution is shown to be set at the scatterer rather than at detection.

Extending this interaction-based account beyond slits and gratings to other interference setups, such as those involving optical beam splitters, requires treating the beam splitter itself as a quantum system that actively participates in interactions with photons. The authors explicitly state that how to carry out such a generalization is not immediately clear and indicate that developing this description lies beyond the scope of the present work, motivating a concrete open problem.