Dipole Orientation Dependence of the Double-Slit Interference Pattern: A Test of the Dipole-Wave Ontology

Abstract

Abstract The dipole-wave ontology proposes that all fundamental particles are point-like entities with oscillating dipoles that radiate real guiding waves. For the photon, the dipole is induced by the intrinsic electromagnetic wave and oscillates along the polarization direction. A key prediction of this ontology is that rotating the photon's polarization—and therefore its dipole orientation—should alter the spatial structure of the double-slit interference pattern, since the dipole radiation pattern shapes the guiding wave. Standard quantum mechanics predicts no such dependence. We tested this prediction using a tabletop double-slit apparatus. A red laser (650 nm) illuminated a double slit, and a half-wave retarder film was inserted after the slits to rotate the polarization. Interference patterns were photographed with and without the retarder, and with the retarder oriented to produce vertical and 45° polarization. Line profiles extracted from the averaged images were fitted with Gaussian functions, and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) was used as a quantitative width metric. The vertical retarder produced a statistically significant narrowing of the central interference feature compared to the no-retarder baseline (). The halo surrounding the central feature elongated in the direction of the rotated polarization, tracking the retarder orientation. A control experiment using non-birefringent clear acetate film produced no significant narrowing and no directional elongation. These results are consistent with the dipole-wave prediction and are not explained by standard quantum mechanics.