29 November 2016 13 7K Report

As we know, atom is always massive compared to photon, so its de Broglie wavelength (h/(mv)) is very small. In the textbook "quantum mechanics" written by Griffiths, Problem 1.18, it says "... quantum mechanics is relevant when the de Broglie wavelength of a pariticle in question (h/p) is greater than the characteristic size of the system (d)...". For an atom, can h/p is greater than its characteristic size and be seen as a wave? Or in other words, what happens in the atom interferometer?

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