20.5. Origin of wave theory of quantum mechanics#
Main contributions from:
L. de Broglie, (1922-24): matter waves
E. Schrodinger, (1926) “An Undulatory Theory of the Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules”: wave equation. “if a phenomenon behaves like a wave, it must be governed by a wave equation”
Experimental verifications:
Davisson-Germer experiment (1923-27) confirmed the hypothesis of L. de Broglie: \(e^-\) scattered by a surface of a metal crystal showed a diffraction pattern, a characteristic phenomenon of wave processes, consistent with the relation postulated by de Broglie linking the wave vector and the momentum \(\mathbf{k} = \frac{\mathbf{p}}{\hbar}\).
Reinterpretation and classical limit:
…