De Broglie's Matter-Wave Theory

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In 1924, Louis de Broglie proposed that wave-particle duality is not restricted to light. Every moving material particle, like an electron, has an associated matter wave, now called a de Broglie wave. To derive this, de Broglie equated the photon energy E equals h nu with E equals p c, giving p equals h over lambda. For a material particle, momentum is m v, so the wavelength equals h divided by m v. Electron diffraction experiments confirmed this wave behavior. For an electron moving at ten to the seven meters per second, the de Broglie wavelength is about seven point two seven times ten to the minus eleven meters, comparable to atomic spacing, so diffraction occurs.