Fotoneiden

Fotoneiden are hypothetical light-carrying particles proposed in certain beyond-standard-model theories and in science fiction. Unlike ordinary photons, fotoneiden are envisaged to possess either a small but nonzero rest mass, or to interact with matter through additional couplings that are suppressed at low energies. Some models posit hidden sectors in which fotoneiden mix with standard photons, yielding observable effects such as energy-dependent propagation speeds or altered polarization.

In experiments, searches focus on deviations from Coulomb's law, vacuum birefringence, photon regeneration (light-shining-through-walls), and astrophysical observations of photon attenuation or spectral distortions. However, no confirmed detections have been reported, and the concept remains speculative and highly model-dependent.

Origins of the idea vary; in science fiction, fotoneiden are often used as plot devices to explore questions about information transfer, communication limits, or the nature of light. In physics, they are discussed as a generalization of the photon in models with extra dimensions or hidden sectors, alongside other candidates such as dark photons and axion-like particles.

Related topics include photons, hidden photons, dark photons, axion-like particles, quantum electrodynamics, and spectral distortions.