Drastic advancement in nanophotonics achieved by a new dressed photon study

On the very recent advancement of dressed photon studies A timely review of the emerging new phase of dressed photon (DP) studies, not yet prevailing in the global nanophotonic society, is given in contradistinction to its preceding incipient phase. A new theory on DPs crucially depends on a couple of important elements, namely, the knowledge on quantum field theory (QFT) having infinite degrees of freedom, notably on the micro-macro duality (MMD) theory developed by Ojima, and a newly proposed Clebsch dual (CD) electromagnetic field as a specific implementation of MMD theory. The main aim of the first part of this article after the introduction, the section of “ In search of refinement of the theoretical models ”, is twofold: to explain plainly, without resorting to mathematical equations, the essence of the highly mathematical contents of MMD theory, which clarifies a problematic aspect of the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment, and to explain the physical meanings of the CD field. Preliminary study on the existence of DP light with spin zero In the section of “ Observed “photon cluster” and light field with spin zero ”, we briefly report a new intriguing experimental discovery implying the existence of propagating particle-like “quantum DP light” together with a conjecture on its possible theoretical explanation. A perspective on a variety of possible research directions for DPs is then briefly mentioned in the final section.