File:Propagation_of_a_de_broglie_wave.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata facts
- Named after
- Louis de Broglie
Show 3 more facts
- facet of
- wave–particle duality
- discoverer or inventor
- Louis de Broglie
- has characteristic
- de Broglie wavelength
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Encyclopedic overview
Matter waves are a central part of the theory of quantum mechanics, being half of wave–particle duality. At all scales where measurements have been practical, matter exhibits wave-like behavior. For example, a beam of electrons can be diffracted just like a beam of light or a water wave.
The concept that matter behaves like a wave was proposed by French physicist Louis de Broglie (/dəˈbrɔɪ/) in 1924, and so matter waves are also known as de Broglie waves.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “matter wave” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.