Quantum

Mech anics
de Broglie Waves

➢ Prince Louis V. de Broglie suggested that massive particles (i.e. matter)

should have wave properties similar to electromagnetic radiation.
➢ The energy can be written analogous to photons
➢The wavelength of a matter wave is called the de Broglie wavelength so
that:

11
 platypus

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/genetics/
2008-05-08-platypus-genetic-map_N.htm,
Ornithorhynchus anatinus, platipus
“Australia's unique duck-billed platypus is part bird, part
reptile and part mammal according to its gene map.
The platypus is classed as a mammal because it has fur
and feeds its young with milk. It flaps a beaver-like tail.
But it also has bird and reptile features — a duck-like bill
and webbed feet, and lives mostly underwater. Males
have venom-filled spurs on their heels.”

12
Matter waves
de Broglie wavelength is more significant for small masses traveling at high speeds rather than large
masses traveling at low speeds

Calculate the wavelength of an electron moving at 1.0 x 106 m/s.

λ = 7.3 x10 -10 m

Other cases
de-Broglie wavelength associated with an accelerated particle
If a charged particle, say an electron is accelerated by a potential difference of V volts, then its kinetic
energy is

Then the electron wavelength is given by

de-Broglie wavelength expressed in term of kinetic energy

If a particle has kinetic energy K.E., then
Properties of matter waves
✓ Matter waves are not electromagnetic in nature

✓ Matter-wave represents the probability of finding a particle in space.

✓ Matter waves are independent of the charge on the material particle.

✓ The phase velocity of matter waves can be greater than the speed of light.

✓ Matter wave is a symbolic representation of what we know about the particle.

It is a waves of probability.
Davisson and Germer experiment
❖ Observed evidence that beams of electrons fired at the crystal lattice of
metals diffract to produce constructive and destructive interference.

❖ A beam of electrons from a heated filament, accelerated through a

potential difference is made to strike the surface of a crystal of Ni.

❖ Electrons are scattered in all directions and may be detected by an array

of detectors located at various angles of scattering.

❖ It is found that the intensity of scattered beam is maximum at some

particular angles of incidence, in the same manner as the case when a
beam of x-rays strikes the crystal
❖A polar graph was then plotted between the detector current and the angle between the incident and diffracted beam.
Polar curves were obtained for electron accelerated through different voltages.

❖It was found that a hump appears in the polar curve when 44eV electrons were incident on the crystal. It is seen that for
the accelerating voltage of 54eV, the electrons are scattered more pronouncedly at an angle 50owith the direction of
incident beam and then kept decreasing.
❖ The maximum is an indication that electrons are being diffracted. In such a case Bragg’s law applicable for Xray
diffraction by crystals, would be valid for electron wave difference also.
ii)Braggs law
Velocity of matter wave
Velocity of matter wave, Vp ➢Each particle cannot be associated with a
single wave
Vp =ϒλ
λ - deBroglie wavelength = h/p. ➢Instead a moving particle is associated with
a group of waves
E=hϒ and E=mc2
➢Superposition of these waves gives rise to a
hϒ=mc2 wave packet, which moves with a velocity
ϒ=mc2/h equal to particle velocity and is called group
velocity.
Vp = (mc2/h) x (h/mv)
➢Vg = v
Vp = C2 /v - Phase velocity
 ❖ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlM9vq-bepAp

❖V

Vp= ω/ k and Vg=dω/dk

Amplitude – corresponds to likelihood of finding the particle
Group Velocity
◦ Vg =d ω/ dk
◦ Vg =ђ dω/ ђ dk
◦ = ђ d (2 ϒ)/ ђ d(2 /λ) ђ*2 = h
◦ Vg = dE/dP
◦ E=mV2/2 P=mV V is the velocity of the particle
◦ Differentiating
◦ Vg = V
 PRACTISE NUMERICALS
Calculate the kinetic energy of an electron having a de Broglie wavelength of 0.341 A°; and estimate the
wavelength of X-rays having the same energy.

Compare the deBroglie wavelength of (i) a proton with a speed of 2 × 107 m/s and (ii) particle of 10μ m/s
and mass 10-15kg. Comment on the observations.

Thermal neutrons incident on a potassium chloride crystal (interatomic spacing 0.314nm) undergoes first
order diffraction from the principal Braggs plane at an angle of 40˚. What is the energy of the thermal
neutrons?