diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5a16984..493f309 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
-/Manifest.toml
-/docs/Manifest.toml
-/docs/build/
+*Manifest.toml
+docs/build/
diff --git a/src/QEDcore.jl b/src/QEDcore.jl
index c42bed0..782b285 100644
--- a/src/QEDcore.jl
+++ b/src/QEDcore.jl
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ export BiSpinor, AdjointBiSpinor, DiracMatrix
 # gamma matrices
 export gamma, GAMMA, DiracGammaRepresentation, slashed
 
+# particle types
+export AbstractParticleSpinor
+export FermionLike, Fermion, AntiFermion, MajoranaFermion
+export BosonLike, Boson, AntiBoson, MajoranaBoson
+export Electron, Positron, Photon
+
 # particle spinors
 export BASE_PARTICLE_SPINOR, BASE_ANTIPARTICLE_SPINOR
 export IncomingFermionSpinor,
@@ -35,5 +41,6 @@ include("algebraic_objects/lorentz_vector.jl")
 include("algebraic_objects/gamma_matrices.jl")
 
 include("particles/spinors.jl")
+include("particles/particle_types.jl")
 
 end
diff --git a/src/algebraic_objects/lorentz_vector.jl b/src/algebraic_objects/lorentz_vector.jl
index cff8c75..a0cfcfc 100644
--- a/src/algebraic_objects/lorentz_vector.jl
+++ b/src/algebraic_objects/lorentz_vector.jl
@@ -98,4 +98,4 @@ end
 # TODO: this breaks incremental compilation because it's trying to eval permanent changes in a different module
 #register_LorentzVectorLike(MLorentzVector)
 @traitimpl QEDbase.IsLorentzVectorLike{MLorentzVector}
-@traitimpl QEDbase.IsMutableLorentzVectorLike{MLorentzVector}
\ No newline at end of file
+@traitimpl QEDbase.IsMutableLorentzVectorLike{MLorentzVector}
diff --git a/src/particles/particle_types.jl b/src/particles/particle_types.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ef3c72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/particles/particle_types.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+###############
+# The particle types 
+#
+# In this file, we define the types of particles, their states and directions, and
+# implement the abstact particle interface accordingly. 
+###############
+
+import QEDbase: is_particle, is_anti_particle, is_boson, is_fermion, mass, charge
+
+"""
+    AbstractParticleSpinor
+
+TBW
+"""
+abstract type AbstractParticleSpinor end
+
+"""
+Abstract base types for particle species that act like fermions in the sense of particle statistics.
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    Every concrete subtype of [`FermionLike`](@ref) has `is_fermion(::FermionLike) = true`.
+"""
+abstract type FermionLike <: QEDbase.AbstractParticleType end
+
+is_fermion(::FermionLike) = true
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for fermions as distinct from [`AntiFermion`](@ref)s.
+    
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `Fermion` have
+    ```julia 
+    is_fermion(::Fermion) = true
+    is_particle(::Fermion) = true
+    is_anti_particle(::Fermion) = false
+    ```
+
+"""
+abstract type Fermion <: FermionLike end
+
+is_particle(::Fermion) = true
+
+is_anti_particle(::Fermion) = false
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for anti-fermions as distinct from its particle counterpart `Fermion`.
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `AntiFermion` have 
+    ```julia 
+    is_fermion(::AntiFermion) = true
+    is_particle(::AntiFermion) = false
+    is_anti_particle(::AntiFermion) = true
+    ```
+"""
+abstract type AntiFermion <: FermionLike end
+
+is_particle(::AntiFermion) = false
+
+is_anti_particle(::AntiFermion) = true
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for majorana-fermions, i.e. fermions which are their own anti-particles.
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `MajoranaFermion` have 
+    ```julia 
+    is_fermion(::MajoranaFermion) = true
+    is_particle(::MajoranaFermion) = true
+    is_anti_particle(::MajoranaFermion) = true
+    ```
+    
+"""
+abstract type MajoranaFermion <: FermionLike end
+
+is_particle(::MajoranaFermion) = true
+
+is_anti_particle(::MajoranaFermion) = true
+
+"""
+Concrete type for *electrons* as a particle species. Mostly used for dispatch. 
+
+```jldoctest
+julia> using QEDbase
+
+julia> Electron()
+electron
+```
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    Besides being a subtype of [`Fermion`](@ref), objects of type `Electron` have
+
+    ```julia
+    mass(::Electron) = 1.0
+    charge(::Electron) = -1.0
+    ```
+"""
+struct Electron <: Fermion end
+mass(::Electron) = 1.0
+charge(::Electron) = -1.0
+Base.show(io::IO, ::Electron) = print(io, "electron")
+
+"""
+Concrete type for *positrons* as a particle species. Mostly used for dispatch. 
+
+```jldoctest
+julia> using QEDbase
+
+julia> Positron()
+positron
+```
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    Besides being a subtype of [`AntiFermion`](@ref), objects of type `Positron` have
+
+    ```julia
+    mass(::Positron) = 1.0
+    charge(::Positron) = 1.0
+    ```
+"""
+struct Positron <: AntiFermion end
+mass(::Positron) = 1.0
+charge(::Positron) = 1.0
+Base.show(io::IO, ::Positron) = print(io, "positron")
+
+"""
+Abstract base types for particle species that act like bosons in the sense of particle statistics. 
+    
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    Every concrete subtype of `BosonLike` has `is_boson(::BosonLike) = true`.
+"""
+abstract type BosonLike <: QEDbase.AbstractParticleType end
+
+is_boson(::BosonLike) = true
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for bosons as distinct from its anti-particle counterpart [`AntiBoson`](@ref).
+    
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `Boson` have
+    ```julia 
+    is_boson(::Boson) = true
+    is_particle(::Boson) = true
+    is_anti_particle(::Boson) = false
+    ```
+"""
+abstract type Boson <: BosonLike end
+is_particle(::Boson) = true
+is_anti_particle(::Boson) = false
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for anti-bosons as distinct from its particle counterpart [`Boson`](@ref).
+    
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `AntiBoson` have
+    ```julia 
+    is_boson(::AntiBoson) = true
+    is_particle(::AntiBoson) = false
+    is_anti_particle(::AntiBoson) = true
+    ```
+"""
+abstract type AntiBoson <: BosonLike end
+is_particle(::AntiBoson) = false
+is_anti_particle(::AntiBoson) = true
+
+"""
+Abstract base type for majorana-bosons, i.e. bosons which are their own anti-particles.
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    All subtypes of `MajoranaBoson` have 
+    ```julia 
+    is_boson(::MajoranaBoson) = true
+    is_particle(::MajoranaBoson) = true
+    is_anti_particle(::MajoranaBoson) = true
+    ```
+"""
+abstract type MajoranaBoson <: BosonLike end
+is_particle(::MajoranaBoson) = true
+is_anti_particle(::MajoranaBoson) = true
+
+"""
+Concrete type for the *photons* as a particle species. Mostly used for dispatch. 
+
+```jldoctest
+julia> using QEDbase
+
+julia> Photon()
+photon
+```
+
+!!! note "particle interface"
+    Besides being a subtype of `MajoranaBoson`, `Photon` has
+
+    ```julia
+    mass(::Photon) = 0.0
+    charge(::Photon) = 0.0
+    ```
+"""
+struct Photon <: MajoranaBoson end
+mass(::Photon) = 0.0
+charge(::Photon) = 0.0
+Base.show(io::IO, ::Photon) = print(io, "photon")
diff --git a/src/particles/spinors.jl b/src/particles/spinors.jl
index f20b60c..d366807 100644
--- a/src/particles/spinors.jl
+++ b/src/particles/spinors.jl
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ end
 
 const SpinorVbar = IncomingAntiFermionSpinor
 
+# TODO: reenable when it's no longer in QEDbase
 # function getindex(SP::T, idx) where {T<:QEDbase.AbstractParticleSpinor}
 #     return idx in (1, 2) ? SP(idx) : throw(BoundsError())
 # end
diff --git a/test/particles/types.jl b/test/particles/types.jl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4766170
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/particles/types.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+using QEDbase
+using StaticArrays
+using Random
+
+# TODO this can be deleted when QEDbase is released again
+# fix for the broadcast tests
+Base.broadcastable(part::QEDbase.AbstractParticleType) = Ref(part)
+
+# test function to test scalar broadcasting
+test_broadcast(x::AbstractParticle) = x
+test_broadcast(x::ParticleDirection) = x
+test_broadcast(x::AbstractSpinOrPolarization) = x
+
+@testset "fermion likes" begin
+    @testset "antifermion" begin
+        struct TestAntiFermion <: AntiFermion end
+        @test is_fermion(TestAntiFermion())
+        @test !is_particle(TestAntiFermion())
+        @test is_anti_particle(TestAntiFermion())
+        @test test_broadcast.(TestAntiFermion()) == TestAntiFermion()
+    end
+
+    @testset "majorana fermion" begin
+        struct TestMajoranaFermion <: MajoranaFermion end
+        @test is_fermion(TestMajoranaFermion())
+        @test is_particle(TestMajoranaFermion())
+        @test is_anti_particle(TestMajoranaFermion())
+        @test test_broadcast.(TestMajoranaFermion()) == TestMajoranaFermion()
+    end
+
+    @testset "electron" begin
+        @test is_fermion(Electron())
+        @test is_particle(Electron())
+        @test !is_anti_particle(Electron())
+        @test mass(Electron()) == 1.0
+        @test charge(Electron()) == -1.0
+        @test test_broadcast.(Electron()) == Electron()
+    end
+
+    @testset "positron" begin
+        @test is_fermion(Positron())
+        @test !is_particle(Positron())
+        @test is_anti_particle(Positron())
+        @test mass(Positron()) == 1.0
+        @test charge(Positron()) == 1.0
+        @test test_broadcast.(Positron()) == Positron()
+    end
+end
+
+@testset "boson likes" begin
+    @testset "boson" begin
+        struct TestBoson <: Boson end
+        @test !is_fermion(TestBoson())
+        @test is_boson(TestBoson())
+        @test is_particle(TestBoson())
+        @test !is_anti_particle(TestBoson())
+        @test test_broadcast.(TestBoson()) == TestBoson()
+    end
+
+    @testset "antiboson" begin
+        struct TestAntiBoson <: AntiBoson end
+        @test !is_fermion(TestAntiBoson())
+        @test is_boson(TestAntiBoson())
+        @test !is_particle(TestAntiBoson())
+        @test is_anti_particle(TestAntiBoson())
+        @test test_broadcast.(TestAntiBoson()) == TestAntiBoson()
+    end
+
+    @testset "majorana boson" begin
+        struct TestMajoranaBoson <: MajoranaBoson end
+        @test !is_fermion(TestMajoranaBoson())
+        @test is_boson(TestMajoranaBoson())
+        @test is_particle(TestMajoranaBoson())
+        @test is_anti_particle(TestMajoranaBoson())
+        @test test_broadcast.(TestMajoranaBoson()) == TestMajoranaBoson()
+    end
+end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 0c44d6c..045c44b 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ begin
     end
 
     # particles
+    @time @safetestset "particle types" begin
+        include("particles/types.jl")
+    end
+
     @time @safetestset "particle spinors" begin
         include("particles/spinors.jl")
     end