This is not how quantum mechanics works. One standard textbook example is to calculate the dynamics of a two-level atom that is perturbed by an oscillating (cla

This is not how quantum mechanics works. One standard textbook example is to calculate the dynamics of a two-level atom that is perturbed by an oscillating (classical) electric field. The result is that there is a certain probability per unit time for the atom to transition to the excited state. In a solid, the two levels are replaced by a band structure, and the excitation leads to the generation of an electron-hole pair. The calculation then immediately gives quantized absorption events that follow a Poisson distribution. No photons required.