Nonphotonic

Nonphotonic refers to phenomena or entities that do not involve or interact with light. In physics, this typically contrasts with photonic processes, which are directly mediated by photons, the fundamental particles of light. For example, in particle physics, interactions can be mediated by various force carrier particles. Photonic interactions are those mediated by photons, such as electromagnetic forces. Nonphotonic interactions would then be those mediated by other force carriers, like gluons for the strong nuclear force or W and Z bosons for the weak nuclear force.

In the context of materials science or optics, "nonphotonic" might describe materials or structures that do not exhibit typical optical properties or do not interact with light in the expected ways. This could include materials that are opaque or that absorb light completely, or perhaps hypothetical materials designed to manipulate other forms of energy or particles in ways analogous to how photonic crystals manipulate light.

The term can also be used in a more general sense to distinguish processes that occur without any electromagnetic radiation. For instance, some chemical reactions might be described as nonphotonic if they are not initiated or sustained by light energy, relying instead on thermal, mechanical, or other forms of energy input. The precise meaning of "nonphotonic" is therefore dependent on the specific scientific field or context in which it is used, but the core concept remains the absence or lack of involvement of light or photons.