Why we can see photons which are a combination of electric and magnetic fields, but we can't see electric and magnetic fields produced by a current say? If we are not seeing the electric and magnetic fields in the photon when we see it, then what we are seeing instead? As far as I know a photon is simply an electromagnetic wave. If it's about frequency, then can we see an electric field with a frequency inside our vision spectrum?
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If we are not seeing the electric and magnetic fields in the photon when we see it, then what we are seeing instead?As far as I know a photon is simply an electromagnetic wave
The photon has no electric and magnetic field. It is an elementary point particle of mass zero, spin +/-1 and energy = h ν where ν is the frequency that a large number of photons build up quantum mechanically into the classical electromagnetic wave.
Seeing is a biological process and it depends on cells in the retina of the eye, whose atom absorb optical frequency photons creating signals towards the brain.
How atoms are excited by photons and release photons is by energy level transitions of atoms . See here for the simple hydrogen atom.
Electric and magnetic fields cannot directly affect atomic energy levels. See my answer here.
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