De Broglie’s Initial Conception of De Broglie Waves

Abstract

In this paper my intention is to present de Broglie’s personal view on “matter waves”, with some consequences on the theory of measurement. This conception of “matter waves” was at the very origin of wave Mechanics and was, later on, developed by de Broglie and his collaborators during the last 25 years. There are two papers on this subject in this book. The present one combines my own two lectures given during the Perugia Symposium and the second paper (by Daniel Fargue) is especially devoted to the double solution theory and the fundamental idea of using non-linear equations. In connection with this last problem, let me note that I am very glad to see how the approach of physicists has changed during the last few years : 20 or 25 years ago, when we were the only ones to speak about non linear equations and the possibility of generalizing Quantum Mechanics on the basis of this idea, all the official scientific commissions considered that it was an utterly foolish idea devoid of any interest, which only demonstrated that de Broglie had definitely became an old man. Today the possibility of non linear effects in the diffraction or interferences of matter-waves is largely recognized and this is certainly a very important evolution, which may help to find an intelligible feature of the dualistic properties of matter.