Photons, as elementary particles, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior depending on the experimental setup and observation. When behaving as particles, photons do not directly interact with the Higgs field in the same way that massive particles do.
The Higgs field is responsible for giving mass to certain elementary particles through a process known as electroweak symmetry breaking. It interacts with particles that have mass, such as quarks and massive gauge bosons (W and Z bosons). Photons, on the other hand, are massless particles and do not directly couple to the Higgs field.
However, photons can indirectly interact with the Higgs field through the effects of virtual particles. According to quantum field theory, the vacuum is not truly empty but filled with virtual particle-antiparticle pairs that constantly appear and disappear. These virtual particles can briefly couple to the Higgs field before annihilating.
In this way, when a photon interacts with charged particles, it can give rise to virtual particle-antiparticle pairs, including those that couple to the Higgs field. These virtual particles contribute to the overall behavior of the electromagnetic interaction, but it is important to note that this interaction is not a direct interaction between the photon and the Higgs field.
So, while photons do not directly interact with the Higgs field when behaving as particles, their interactions with charged particles can indirectly involve the Higgs field through the effects of virtual particles.