Any quantum particle can be used in the double slit experiment. It doesn't have to be photons. It's been done with electrons, neutrons, and even buckyballs (Carbon-60). So whatever is going on, it can't be as simple as "a field is created that photons respond to", because it's not only photons that show the pattern.
In the doubleslit experiment, can it be that the two slits set up magnetic or gravitational field that creates the interference pattern and photons are just a method to observe that pattern? Just like iron dust is used to see the magnetic lines that would exist regardless.