Non-Physical Nature of Energy Quanta of Light or Photons

Photons are elementary particles of the Standard Model viewed to be mediators of electromagnetic interaction carrying energy. But what is the physical nature of these little packets of energy named photons? Fiction or reality? 

Let us compare with the harmonic oscillator as the basic model of physics (in non-dimensional form):

•  $\ddot x = - x $    (H)

where $x(t)$ is the elongation of a spring with one end attached to $x=0$ and the other end to a body of unit mass, $-x(t)$ is the spring force, $\dot x =\frac{dx}{dt}$ is the body velocity and (H) expresses Newton's 2nd Law. 

The physics of this model is the spring with its spring force depending on spring elongation $x(t)$ and the acceleration or dynamical force $\ddot x$ balanced by the spring force $x(t)$. Energy serves no role in the specification of the model. 

Energy can formally be introduced my multiplying (H) by $\dot x$ to find that the total energy

• $E(t) = K(t) + P(t)$,
• with $K(t)= \frac{1}{2}\dot x(t)^2$ as kinetic energy,
• and $P(t)=\frac{1}{2} x(t)^2$ as potential energy, 

stays constant during harmonic oscillation. We understand that mulitplication of (H) expressing force balance by the velocity $\dot x$, gives a balance of work per unit time as force times velocity with work a form of energy with thus energy constance over time the same as zero net work per unit of time. 

We understand that multiplication of (H) with $\dot x$ is a formal operation which lacks physical realisation. Therefore energy/work arising from this formal operation has no physical realisation. 

Energy/work does not consist of little packets of energy/work with physical presence. Energy/work are fictional quantities as abilities which can be associated with (H), but do not carry a definite physical shape. 

  

This gives perspective to photons as little packets or quanta of energy: They have no physicality and thus should better be removed from specifications of models of physics like (H) and then also from generalisations to atomic physics. 

We are thus led to a form of quantum physics as continuum physics without quanta as RealQM.