from July 3, 2023 to July 5, 2023
Published on March 14, 2023 Updated on March 4, 2024

Louis de Broglie Conference 2023 : 100 years of matter waves

Venue: Campus des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Paris

International conference coordinated by Alexandre Matzkin, CY LPTM laboratory.


100 years ago, Louis de Broglie, faced with the crisis of the physics of his time, proposed a hypothesis which, in the words of Einstein, “lifts a corner of the great veil”. This hypothesis, that of matter waves, will constitute the starting point of modern quantum mechanics. Electron diffraction, verified experimentally shortly after, earned Louis de Broglie the Nobel Prize in 1929.
Today, the wave aspects of matter play an essential role at the level of fundamental physics (in atomic physics, in condensed matter, in neutron optics, etc.), and are used in numerous technological applications (from electron microscopy to cold atom gravimeters). At the same time, the conceptual problems arising from questions about the nature of matter waves and the wave-particle duality still relevant.
The aim of the conference will be to commemorate de Broglie's 3 articles on matter waves published in 1923 with 3 days of presentations and discussions on the contemporary aspects of matter waves. We address themes ranging from the state of the art concerning the observation of matter waves (macro-molecules, atomic interferometry and cold atoms, electron optics and neutronics), to fundamental questions concerning the nature of these waves, passing through presentations discussing technological applications or giving a historical perspective.


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