This paper speculates on the origin of dark energy & and dark matter as the potential energy of the cosmic medium as different forms of stresses in equilibrium. We are hypothesizing that EM waves and all particles are some form of undulations of different kinds of fields when the various stressed states of the cosmic medium are displaced from their equilibrium states. We have come to such conclusions as we have attempted to impose causality on the superposition effects we observe when EM beams or particles beams are superposed on detectors. We assume that detectors must experience all the incident beams on them simultaneously to be able to report the superposition effects; the fields themselves do not produce the energy re-distribution that we register as fringes. For light waves, this assumption is almost obvious because light or laser beams pass through each other without modifying each other. Yet, unlike bulk-matter waves, like those on water, we cannot "see" the fringes of light waves unless we insert detecting molecules within the volume of superposition. So, what undulates and how are the fringes are formed? We postulate that right kind of detectors with the right QM rules must do the summing of the influences brought on them by all the superposed fields simultaneously. We call this approach Reality Ontology (RO). We illustrate the concept with optical interference and diffraction experiments. Then we extend the "RO" concept to particle "interference" by hypothesizing that the relevant phases of the particles are due to some physical internal periodic undulations rather than de Broglie's "Pilot Waves".

Introducing scalar and vector densities for a mutual coherence function, we present a new conservation law for optical coherence of scalar wave fields in the form of continuity equation. This coherence conservation law provides new insights into topological phenomena for the complex coherence function. Some properties related to the newly introduced coherence vector density, such as a circulating coherence current associated with a coherence vortex, are investigated both theoretically and experimentally for the first time.

The true nature of most physical phenomena, including the propagation of light, becomes evident when simple elegant theories and mathematical models conform to experimental observations. Often the simple nature of some natural phenomenon is obscured by applying a complex theory to model an inappropriate physical quantity in some cumbersome coordinate system or parameter space. In this paper, we integrate sound radiometric principles with scalar diffraction theory and show that diffracted radiance (not irradiance or intensity) is the natural quantity that exhibits shift-invariance if formulated in direction cosine space. Thus simple Fourier techniques can be used to predict a variety of wide-angle diffraction phenomena. These include the redistribution of radiant energy from evanescent diffracted orders to propagating ones, and the calculation of diffraction efficiencies with accuracy usually thought to require rigorous electromagnetic theory. In addition, an empirically modified Beckmann-Kirchhoff surface scatter theory has been shown to be more accurate than the classical Beckmann-Kirchhoff theory in predicting non-intuitive scatter effects at large incident and scattered angles, without the smooth-surface limitation of the Rayleigh-Rice scattering theory.

It is well known that there exist both natural materials (such as milk or sugar solution) possessing chiral (or handed) properties, as well as an increasing list of man-made materials (such as sodium bromate) that exhibit chirality. One of the principal properties of chirality is that light of any arbitrary polarization, when propagating through a chiral material, splits up into two circular polarizations propagating in different directions. In the past decade or longer, researchers have investigated electromagnetic transverse (plane) wave propagation across a non-chiral/chiral interface, and determined the electromagnetic Fresnel coefficients for such propagation. Traditionally, such coefficients are derived under the assumption that the transmitted circular polarizations in the chiral material have wave numbers that are numerically positive, and nominally point in the direction of electromagnetic energy flow. However, it turns out that the actual solution for the wavenumbers obtained from applying Maxwell's equations to an unbounded, isotropic chiral material yields four possible values dependent upon the chirality parameter. In this paper, we examine the emergence of these wavenumbers, and thereafter explore the conditions necessary for the resulting field solutions to have counter-propagating energy flow and wave vector. Such conditions, if feasible, represent an environment leading to an effectively negative refractive index being generated within the chiral material. Accordingly, propagation within a chiral medium through the mechanism of negative refractive indices may be studied in order to better understand the corresponding optical properties of such materials vis-a-vis transmission of an electromagnetic wave into and out of such a region. The results obtained may be applied to compare negative index chiral materials with the broader emerging field of negative index metamaterials, and explore possible applications.

All biological objects emit radiation over a large wavelength range as part of metabolic processes. We hypothesize that biofields surrounding living biological objects can be observed by imaging the photonic and thermal radiation emitted. In this paper we compare three different methods of visualizing biofields we have developed over the last 3-1/2 years: imaging of self-bioluminescence with a highly-sensitive silicon CCD array, dynamic interferometry for measurement of subtle thermal microbursts from biological objects correlated with pulse and respiration, and infrared imaging in the 3-5μm region. Although the selfbioluminescence signal is weak from humans, it can be imaged using 10min exposures with a highly sensitive camera. These speeds do not enable tracking of dynamic changes, but they do enable looking at subtle processes that have not been previously imaged. Dynamic interferometry provides a means of measuring subtle variations in refractive index of air currents by freezing them in time. These air currents are related to bursts of thermal energy emitted by the human body. Although the body is not directly measured, it is possible to track cycles in the range of tenths of seconds to many seconds. Infrared imaging has the advantage of both being fast and not requiring a darkened enclosure. Subtle changes in temperature can be tracked, but ambient environmental conditions need to be controlled to get absolute numbers. Tracking relative changes works the best with this technique. Each of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages that are outlined in this paper. The technique of choice depends upon the particular application. The rate at which the technology is developing and improving indicates that soon it will be much easier to apply any of these techniques to a wider variety of applications.

Hoplia coerulea is known for its spectacular blue-violet iridescence. The blue coloration is caused by the presence of a photonic structure inside the scales which cover the dorsal parts of the insect's body, including the head, the thorax, and the wing cases. The structure can be described by a stack of chitin plates wearing arrays of parallel rods. This arrangement leads to a multilayer structure which only uses a single solid material. The shift of the reflected wavelength to the ultraviolet (passing through violet iridescence) is described and explained on the basis of the optical properties of this structured metamaterial.

The perception of light in nature comes through the photopigment molecules of our retina. The objective of this paper is to relate our modern understanding of the quantum mechanical chemical processes in the retinal molecules with our observation of superposition ("interference") fringes due to multiple light beams. The issue of "interference" is important for two subtle reasons. First, we do not perceive light except though the response of the light detecting molecules. Second, EM fields do not operate on each other to create the "interference" (superposition) effects. When the intrinsic molecular properties of a detector allows it to respond simultaneously to all the superposed light beams on them, they sum the effects and report the corresponding "fringes" of superposition. In the human eye the "seeing" (or perception) is initiated by photo-isomerization of retinal, the chromophore of the opsin molecule. There exists several orders of magnitude difference between the characteristic times for the molecular processes of light absorption and the visual signal generation through the photochemical cascade. This allows us to function in the daily chores of walking and visual identification of objects and enjoy the beauty of the natural sceneries even though the retinal layer is bombarded simultaneously by innumerable beams of light with same and different frequencies, which will normally produce a flood of electronic "white noise" over a very wide range of temporal frequencies, namely the heterodyne beat signal. How do the eyes completely suppress this wide range of heterodyne beat signal?

The structural origin of the weak iridescence on some of the dark feathers of the black-billed magpie, Pica pica (Corvidae), is found in the structure of the ribbon-shaped barbules. The cortex of these barbules contains cylindrical holes distributed as the nodes of an hexagonal lattice in the hard layer cross-section. The cortex optical properties are described starting from a photonic-crystal film theory. The yellowish-green coloration of the bird's tail can be explained by the appearance of a reflection band related to the photonic-crystal lowest-lying gap. The bluish reflections from the wings are produced by a more complicated mechanism, involving the presence of a cortex "second gap".