Photon localization and vacuum noise in optical measurements

Description of detection and emission in terms of the photon localization is discussed. It is shown that the standard representation of plane waves of photons should be revised to take into consideration the boundary conditions caused by the presence of quantum emitters and detectors. In turn, the change of the boundary conditions causes spatially inhomogeneous structure of the electromagnetic vacuum which leads to the increase of the vacuum noise over the level predicted in the frame of the model of plane photons.