Scientists have demonstrated that atoms can exhibit wave-like behavior, challenging long-held assumptions that experiments of this nature were impossible and opening new doors in quantum physics. The experiment uses atoms and a one-atom-thick graphene sheet to recreate a classic quantum phenomenon: Particle diffraction.
This research could pave the way for revolutionary technologies, including highly sensitive gravitational wave detectors. The story begins several decades ago, in 1927, when physicist George Paget Thomson revealed that electrons, when passed through a crystal grating, produce a diffraction pattern—a hallmark of wave-like behavior.
Thomson’s discovery not only earned him a Nobel Prize but also fueled advancements such as the electron microscope. For nearly a century, scientists have sought to replicate this diffraction effect in an impossible experiment with atoms. However, traditional meth
