Quantum Mechanics 

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Latest news on quantum mechanics, covering quantum physics, quantum theory, entanglement, superposition, the wave function, the uncertainty principle, the Schrödinger equation, the double-slit experiment, Schrödinger's cat, the EPR paradox, quantum field theory and quantum gravity.

Quantum mechanics describes how matter and light behave at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. Instead of definite paths, particles have a wave function and probabilities, with superposition, entanglement and the uncertainty principle at the heart of the theory. Quantum models explain the spectra of each atomic species and underpin chemistry, lasers and semiconductors.

Landmark experiments include the double-slit experiment, the Stern-Gerlach experiment and the Davisson-Germer experiment, and thought experiments such as Schrödinger's cat and the EPR paradox. Key equations include the Schrödinger equation, the Pauli equation, the Klein-Gordon equation and the Dirac equation, while the Ehrenfest theorem links quantum and classical motion and transformation theory unites the early formulations.

What the theory means is still debated. The Copenhagen interpretation, shaped by Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, faces rivals such as the many-worlds view, the ensemble interpretation and quantum logic. The measurement problem and decoherence, which explains how quantum effects fade into everyday behaviour, remain central questions.

Quantum field theory, quantum electrodynamics and quantum chromodynamics, with Feynman diagrams as their calculating tool, extend quantum mechanics to particles and forces. The search for a theory of quantum gravity aims to join it with general relativity, while experiments on entanglement, quantum jumps and quantum tunnelling keep testing the theory. Nobel prizes have honoured work on entangled photons and on quantum tunnelling in electrical circuits.

The theory grew from Max Planck's 1900 quantum of energy, Albert Einstein's explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 and Niels Bohr's atomic model in 1913. Werner Heisenberg's matrix mechanics in 1925, Erwin Schrödinger's wave equation in 1926 and the uncertainty principle in 1927 completed the framework.

Our NewsNow quantum mechanics feed gathers headlines from reliable sources on quantum physics, entanglement, wave functions, the Schrödinger equation, quantum field theory and quantum gravity. Follow it for constantly updated coverage of experiments, theory and the debates about what quantum mechanics means.