A photon is associated with the equations hν and hcλ.
My book (Serway Modern Physics) says that Einstein explained the photoelectric effect by assuming that the classical wavefront had its energy distributed over bundles, with energy hν. (I've been told this is wrong elsewhere, but its not crucial to my question anyways).
With this picture I imagine that the Maxwellian wave is replete with photons, and its not too hard to digest that the energy of a photon could be given by hν where ν is the frequency of the Maxwellian wave.
But what about a single photon produced, e.g., in an electronic transition in an atom? What does the frequency or wavelength variable in its energy a wavelength or frequency of? Is it also of a classical Maxwellian wave? Meaning that a single photon has a complete plane wave associated with it?
How is this Maxwellian wave distributed over space? Is the common picture of the photon as a little sperm correct then?
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