Emergence of Wave-Particle Duality and Uncertainty Principle: Causal Lattice-Spacetime Field Theory without Vacuum Catastrophe

We propose a novel quantum theory framework, based on causality-constrained quantized spacetime that naturally leads to the emergence of wave-particle duality without a priori assumption of de Broglie’s matter-wave duality, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and Planck’s energy quantization. This more fundamental paradigm, built upon causality and spacetime quantization, resolves major paradoxes in quantum field theory and cosmology, including the vacuum’s zero-point energy and ultraviolet divergences. In this model, spacetime consists of intrinsic quantized intervals governed by micro-causality, replacing the smooth continuum. This structure naturally enforces the uncertainty principle, eliminates infinite field modes, and leads to quantized energy levels without relying on harmonic oscillator assumptions. We show that the massless Klein-Gordon equation is violated at the lattice level, breaking both global and local U(1) symmetries. This leads to mass acquisition without invoking the ad hoc Higgs mechanism. The Casimir effect is reinterpreted as a radiation pressure imbalance, offering an experimentally testable distinction from standard quantum field theory. Our framework avoids singularities, renormalization, and the vacuum catastrophe. With causality-constrained spacetime quantization as the foundation, this framework offers a finite, divergence-free foundation for unification without speculative constructions or fine-tuning.