Wave Particle Duality

Wave-Particle Duality

10 Ways to Learn About Wave-Particle Duality

The captivating and mystifying world of quantum physics has long been a subject of fascination and intrigue for scientists, students, and enthusiasts alike. At its core, quantum physics is a branch of science that delves into the behavior of particles at the most fundamental level, challenging our classical intuitions and offering a glimpse into the bizarre and counterintuitive behavior of quantum entities. One of the most intriguing aspects of quantum physics is the concept of wave-particle duality, which lies at the heart of this field and has captivated the minds of many. Wave-particle duality underscores the perplexing idea that particles, such as electrons and photons, can exhibit characteristics of both waves and particles simultaneously, revealing the enigmatic nature of the quantum realm.

Waves and Particles in Light and Matter

From September 24 through 30, 1992 the Workshop on "Waves and Parti cles in Light and Matter" was held in the Italian city of Trani in celebration of the centenary of Louis de Broglie's birth. As is well known, the relationship between quantum theory and ob jective reality was one of the main threads running through the researches of this French physicist. It was therefore in a fitting tribute to him on his 90th birthday that ten years ago an international conference on the same subject was convened in Perugia. On that occasion, physicists from all over the world interested in the problematics of wave-particle duality engaged in thoughtful debates (the proceedings of which were subsequently published) on recent theoretical and experimental developments in our understanding of the foundations of quantum mechanics. This time around, about 120 scientists, coming from 5 continents, in the warm and pleasant atmosphere of Trani's Colonna Conference Center focussed their discussions on recent results concerned with the EPR para dox, matter-interferometry, reality of de Broglie's waves, photon detection, macroscopic quantum coherence, alternative theories to usual quantum mechanics, special relativity, state reduction, and other related topics. The workshop was organized in plenary sessions, round tables, and poster sessions, and the present volume collects most-but not all-of the presented papers. A number of acknowledgements are due. We thank, first of all, the contributors, without whose constant dedication this volume could not have been published.