Matter wave

A wave associated with a particle or other material object, expressing its quantum behavior. Its de Broglie wavelength is inversely proportional to the object's momentum.

de Broglie wavelength: The wavelength associated with a particle, equal to Planck's constant divided by its momentum. It gives the quantitative relation at the heart of a matter wave.
Davisson–Germer experiment: A 1927 experiment that observed electron diffraction from a nickel crystal. Its diffraction pattern provided direct evidence for electron matter waves.
Louis de Broglie: A French physicist who proposed that material particles have wave-like properties. His 1924 thesis introduced the relation between momentum and matter-wave wavelength.
Electron microscopy: A family of imaging methods that use electron beams to resolve structures at small scales. Electrons' short wavelengths enable finer structural resolution than visible light.
Electromagnetic wave: A propagating oscillation of electric and magnetic fields that carries energy and momentum. Unlike a matter wave, it is a field disturbance rather than an amplitude for material particles.
Wave-particle duality: The principle that quantum objects exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties. Matter waves express the wave-like side of this duality.
G. P. Thomson electron diffraction experiment: An experiment in which electrons passing through thin metal foils produced diffraction rings. It independently demonstrated electron wave behavior in transmission.
Planck constant: The fundamental constant that sets the scale of quantum effects. It converts momentum into wavelength in the de Broglie relation.
Neutron scattering: A set of methods that infer material structure and dynamics from scattered neutrons. Neutron wavelengths and scattering reveal atomic and magnetic arrangements.
Classical particle: An idealized object with a definite position and trajectory at each moment. A classical particle lacks the interference behavior associated with matter waves.

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