Define Wave Nature of Matter ? Matter Waves or De-Broglie Waves

Define Wave Nature of Matter ? Matter Waves or De-Broglie Waves

The waves associated with moving material particles are known as De-Broglie waves or matter waves.

According to a french physicist Louis de-Broglie, a moving material particle can be associated with a wave.In other words, a wave can guide the motion of a particle.

Wave theory of electromagnetic radiation explains the phenomena of interference, diffraction and polarization. Whereas quantum theory of electromagnetic radiation successfully explains the photoelectric effect, Compton effect, black body radiation, X-ray spectra etc. This shows that, radiations have dual nature i.e. wave and quantum or particle nature. Louis de Broglie suggested that like radiations the particles like electrons, protons, neutrons etc have also dual nature.

Dual nature i.e. the material particle can behave both as wave as well as particle. 

His suggestion was based on the assumptions that :

(i) the universe is made of particles and radiations.

(ii) the nature loves symmetry so both particles and radiations must be symmetrical.

The wave formed by particles of matter are called matter waves. They are neither mechanical waves nor E.M. waves. Matter waves, like electromagnetic waves can travel in vacuum hence they are not mechanical waves. Matter waves are not electromagnetic waves because they are not produced only by accelerated charged particles (source of E.M waves) but even moving neutral particles also produce matter waves. Amplitude of the matter waves is used to give the probability of existence of the particle at a point, so matter waves are also called probability waves.