Wave properties of matter

7.2 Wave Nature of Matter Material particles behave as waves with a wavelength given by the De
Broglie wavelength (Planck’s constant/momentum)

De Broglie Wavelength h
λ=
p
Diffraction of electrons
Uncertainty Principle The particles are diffracted by passing through an aperture in a similar
manner as light waves.
Wave Function
The wave properties of particles mean that when you confine it in a
Tunneling very small space its momentum (and kinetic energy) must increase.
(uncertainty principle) This is responsible for the size of the atom.

Wave properties are only dominant in very small particles.

De Broglie Wavelength Wave properties

Momentum of a photon - inverse to wavelength.
E Einstein’s special
p=
c relativity theory Lois De Boglie
hc θ
since E=
λ
h a
p=
λ
Wavelength of a particle- inverse to momentum.
λ
h De Broglie proposed that this wavelength
λ= applied to material particles as well as Diffraction of waves
p Increases as the ratio λ/a
for photons. (1924)

de Broglie wavelength of an
de Broglie wavelength of a baseball +
- electron
m=9.1x10-31 kg
e-
Find the de Broglie wavelength of a 1000 eV
m= 0.15 kg
electron.
v= 45 m/s
1 m2 v 2 p 2
KE = mv 2 = = = eV
A baseball with a mass of 0.15 kg is pitched at 45 m/s 2 2m 2m
What is its De Broglie wavelength? h h
λ= =
h h =
6.6 x10 −34 j.s
= 9.8 x10 −35 m
p 2meV
λ= = (0.15kg)( 45m / s) atomic dimensions
p mv V = 1000 V
6.6 x10 −34 Js
λ= = 4.0 x10 −11m
Diffraction effects of a baseball are negligible 2(9.1x10 −31kg)(1.6 x10 −19 C)(1000J / C)

1
 Proof of the wave nature of
Diffraction of light from crystals
electrons by Electron Diffraction

• Davisson – Germer Experiment

• Thompson Experiment

Showed the wave nature of light by diffraction of electrons by

crystals.

Crystals act as a three-dimensional diffraction grating

Light with wavelength close to the inter-atomic spacing
(x-rays) is diffracted.

Diffraction of electrons from Comparison between electron

crystals diffraction and x-ray diffraction
Davisson-Germer Experiment (1927) George Thomson (1927) Aluminum Diffraction
An electron beam is scattered from a crystal powder pattern
Either x-rays
or electrons
The electron wavelength
was adjusted to the same
Ni crystal value as the x-ray by varying
the voltage.
The diffraction pattern for
x-rays and electrons are
The scattered beam shows a diffraction pattern very similar.
expected for the crystal spacing. X-ray pattern electron pattern
Material particles have wave properties.

Electron microscopy Electron microscopy

h
λ=
mv
electron microscope model of ribosome
pictures of ribosomes

Shorter wavelength can be obtained by increasing Electron microscopy can be used to image structures of
v, the speed of the electron. molecules.

2
 Diffraction of particles
Probabilistic Interpretation of the
Wavefunction
wave amplitude. In quantum mechanics the result of an
experiment is given in terms of a
Intensity ∝ Amplitude2 wavefunction Ψ. The square of the
of the diffracted wave. wavefunction Ψ2 is the probability of the
particle being at a certain position.

particle with The wavefunction can be calculated using

wavelength But each particle hits
λ a certain point on the using the Schrödinger Equation. For
screen instance for electrons in an atom.
The amplitude2 is interpreted as the probability of
the particle hitting the screen at a certain position
This is true for electrons as well as photons.

Wave property of particles Uncertainty Principle

Particle passing through a slit --
The uncertainty in position is ∆x
The uncertainty in the x component of momentum is ∆p x = m∆v x
x direction The particle is diffracted
h
∆x ∆vx x direction ∆x sin θ = λ =
mv
∆x ∆vx ∆v x
sin θ = θ =
λ v v
∆v x h
λ ∆x =
v mv
Decreasing the slit reduces ∆x Therefore
But increases the width of the diffraction, ∆vx most often written as an inequality ∆x∆p x = h
h The position and velocity
When ∆x decreases, ∆px increases. ∆x∆p x ≥ cannot be know with
4π
unlimited certainty.

As the size of the atom r decreases – The uncertainty in

The size of an atom the momentum increases until the uncertainty in
momentum limits the momentum. Then the kinetic energy
must increase due to the uncertainty principle.
What accounts for the size of the hydrogen Use linear momentum as a rough estimate.
atom? ∆x∆p x ≈ h
-
proton k e2 +
electron PE = − o ∆p x ≈
h h
=
- r ∆x r r =∆x
+ PE-> - infinity
as r -> zero h
∆p x = ≈ px px cannot be smaller than ∆px
2r
Classical electrostatics predicts that the potential 1 p2 h2
energy of the hydrogen atom should go to – infinity KE = mv x 2 = x ≈ 2 KE
2 2m 8r m
KE increases as 1/r2 E
The finite size of the atom is a quantum mechanical effect. E
E= KE+PE goes through a minimum
as a function of r r
PE

3
 Tunneling across a barrier Electron Tunneling Microscope
a macroscopic object
impinging on a barrier
the object cannot penetrate Wall
within the barrier.

potential energy
a wave particle impinging on a barrier
barrier can penetrate within the
0.01
wave function 2
Electron _ Pr obability ∝ Ψ ≈ Ψo2e −2αr
barrier for distance. and go e- decays 1E-07

electron proabability
α ~10 nm-1
1E-12
through the barrier if it is thin
1E-17
enough.
distance The tunneling probability falls off 1E-22

exponentially with r and is a sensitive

The probability of tunneling decreases exponentially with the
1E-27
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
function of distance r (nm)

width of the barrier.

Tunneling in Photosynthesis

hf
e-
10-12 s

10-12 s
2.0 nm

10-1 s
10-10 s

Bacterial Reaction Center Electron transfer time vs distance

Electron transfer is due to tunneling. Transfer times decay
exponentially as a function of distance.