Abstract. A photon model is proposed, and the parameter equations of the photon are obtained. This model can explain the polarization, total reflection, evanescent wave, and Goos-Hanchen shift of a single photon. The evanescent waves of photons with different frequencies are refractively dispersed. The Goos-Hanchen shift is dependent on the difference between the two refractive indices of media, the incident angle, and the frequency of the photon. According to this model, an evanescent wave of light does not decay exponentially along the z direction and does not propagate along the x direction infinitely. The laws of refraction and reflection for a single photon can be derived. The refractive dispersion of light can be explained. According to this model, every photon is polarized. Polarization is the intrinsic nature of the photon. The motion of a single photon is either clockwise or counterclockwise. The so-called unpolarized light refers to light that consists of an equal number of photons with clockwise motion and counterclockwise motion. The trajectories of two photons with the same frequency but opposite spiral directions are mirror-image isomers. They cannot be superimposed upon each other. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.