Father of quantum mechanics

Father of quantum mechanics is a moniker applied to several individuals. Strictly speaking, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger have equal claim and recognition. Max Planck originated the vast field of Quantum theory and is regarded as the 'true but reluctant father' of the modern concept of 'quantum of energy' that underlies all quantum phenomena.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Planck introduced the concept of a hypothetical energy quantum to explain Black-body radiation spectra in 1900[5] [6][7].

Albert Einstein cemented the utility of quantum theory through explanation of the Photoelectric effect in a 1905 paper. [8]

The fundamental concept that the energy E of any system that absorbs or emits electromagnetic radiation of frequency ν is an integer multiple of an energy quantum E = inspired Erwin Schrödinger to quantize the classical Wave equation. Schrödinger arrived at what is now known as the Schrödinger equation published in 1926[9] [10] This formulation is known as Wave mechanics, An alternative formulation of quantum theory by Werner Heisenberg was published in a 1925 paper.[11]. Heisenberg's work is also referred to as matrix mechanics formulation of quantum physics for which he was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics. As far as attribution for Quantum Mechanics, Heisenberg's Nobel Prize citation awards Heisenberg the credit "for the creation of quantum mechanics"[12].

Additional fine-tuning by Max Born provided the practical way of interpreting probabilities in quantum theory.

References

  1. "The Quantised World". www.nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  2. Creagh, Sunanda. "Hitler's letter to the father of quantum mechanics". The Conversation. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  3. "The birth of quantum theory - Dec 14, 1900 - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  4. "Quantum Theory :The Great Debate". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  5. Planck, M. (1900a). "Über eine Verbesserung der Wienschen Spektralgleichung". Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft. 2: 202–204. Translated in ter Haar, D. (1967). "On an Improvement of Wien's Equation for the Spectrum". The Old Quantum Theory (PDF). Pergamon Press. pp. 79–81. LCCN 66029628.
  6. Planck, M. (1901). "Über das Gesetz der Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum". Annalen der Physik (in German). 4 (3): 553–563. Bibcode:1901AnP...309..553P. doi:10.1002/andp.19013090310. English translation
  7. Planck, M. (1920). "Max Planck's Nobel Lecture". nobelprize.org.
  8. Einstein, Albert (1905a) [Manuscript received: 18 March 1905], written at Berne, Switzerland, "Über einen die Erzeugung und Verwandlung des Lichtes betreffenden heuristischen Gesichtspunkt" [On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light] (PDF), Annalen der Physik (Berlin) (in German), Hoboken, NJ (published 10 March 2006), 322 (6), pp. 132–148, Bibcode:1905AnP...322..132E, doi:10.1002/andp.19053220607 via Wiley Online Library
  9. Erwin Schrödinger (1982). Collected Papers on Wave Mechanics: Third Edition. American Mathematical Soc. ISBN 978-0-8218-3524-1.
  10. Schrödinger, E. (1926). "Quantisierung als Eigenwertproblem; von Erwin Schrödinger". Annalen der Physik. 384: 361–377. Bibcode:1926AnP...384..361S. doi:10.1002/andp.19263840404.
  11. Werner Heisenberg (1925). "Über quantentheoretische Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen". Zeitschrift für Physik. 33 (1): 879–893. Bibcode:1925ZPhy...33..879H. doi:10.1007/BF01328377.
  12. "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1932". Nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
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