A Charge-Lattice–Based Deterministic Model for the Origin, Propagation, and Zero Rest Mass of the Photon

In this work, a deterministic charge–lattice–based model is presented to explain the origin of the photon, its invariant propagation speed, and its zero rest mass. In contemporary physics, the photon is commonly interpreted through field-based descriptions or the framework of wave–particle duality [1]. However, such approaches do not provide a clear mechanical explanation for the absence of rest mass in the photon, nor do they offer a physical origin for the universal constancy of the speed of light, which is typically treated as a postulate [2]. Within the proposed framework, all physical structures emerge from the lattice organization of only two fundamental entities: positive charge units (+) and negative charge units (−). Mass is not regarded as a fundamental property, but rather as an emergent consequence of binding between positive and negative charge units. The photon is described as a pure positive-charge excitation in which negative charge units are entirely absent. As a result, no binding energy is generated, leading naturally to zero rest mass. Photon propagation is not attributed to wave-like behavior or field oscillations, but instead arises from deterministic motion governed by a universal charge-lattice attraction. Consequently, the speed of the photon is independent of the motion of the source or observer and is fixed by the global structure of the charge lattice itself. In this view, the constancy of the speed of light is not an imposed assumption, but a direct physical outcome of charge-lattice dynamics. This model eliminates the need for wave–particle duality, spacetime curvature, and probabilistic in- terpretations in describing photon behavior, and provides a coherent, mechanical, and testable foundation for understanding light, mass, and motion.