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Particleinabox
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I don't actually find this probable, it was merely the most concise way of phrasing my concern.
In the linked description of the mechanism of transparency (), it is stated that opaque objects do not allow light to pass because the incident light is absorbed (as photons, naturally) in the process of promoting electrons to excited states. Great. But if this is the whole story, isn't it conceivable then that so many photons / "so much light" might be continually absorbed such that all available electrons are "maintained" in their excited states? And thus, if an excess of this amount of light is applied, might some photons "slip through" the material without being absorbed?
I realize an electron cannot spend a large amount of time in an excited state, but will return to the ground state emitting a photon. Is it conceivable that some of these photons might seep through to the other side of the material? Is it possible to "saturate" a material's electronic structure with light, and if not why not?
Thank you.
In the linked description of the mechanism of transparency (), it is stated that opaque objects do not allow light to pass because the incident light is absorbed (as photons, naturally) in the process of promoting electrons to excited states. Great. But if this is the whole story, isn't it conceivable then that so many photons / "so much light" might be continually absorbed such that all available electrons are "maintained" in their excited states? And thus, if an excess of this amount of light is applied, might some photons "slip through" the material without being absorbed?
I realize an electron cannot spend a large amount of time in an excited state, but will return to the ground state emitting a photon. Is it conceivable that some of these photons might seep through to the other side of the material? Is it possible to "saturate" a material's electronic structure with light, and if not why not?
Thank you.