What is the practical application of the concept of "Matter Waves"?

Answer 1

x-rays and microwaves, electricity and sound just to name a few.

Answer 2

Some experiments in the 1920's seem to indicate that electrons, known particles of matter, exhibit wave-like qualities similar to photons, which were considered to be pockets of energy. This is the wave-particle duality.

In terms of practical applications, there would be the electron microscopes, which use the quantum properties of electrons to provide imagery of really small things, such as cells.

While not an application, the matter wave concept is important in the study of kinetics, were a reaction may occur if if the classical activation energy is not achieved. This would a result of atoms (usually hydrogen) "tunneling" through the activation barrier. Indeed, this is why you don't want to drink heavy water (D2O), because the double mass of deuterium will seriously slow down biokinetic reactions because of reduced tunneling.

Answer 3

Wave Field Theory states waves are equal to particles. Thus we have various particles, antiparticles, super-particles (sparticles) and such. This means that gravitation has gravitons, and mass has mesons. The meson field is the representation of matter in wave field form. In particles mass is a property of other particles (Example - Protons have mass). Some particles are mass-less (photons). Mass-less particles aren't effected by the meson field as much as particles that have mass.

Read Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) the Strange Theory of Matter by Richard Feynman for a better explanation and understanding of particles and cascade theory. Also just about any book by Lee Smolin, Brian Green or Ron Suskind will fill you in on relativity and M-Theory and Quantum Field Theory. It's a start.

Answer 4

Sounds like the particle/wave duality that Hawking describes in "A Brief History of Time."

Application: Time Travel, Infinite Power, etc.

Answer 5

The universe.

No kidding, without quantum mechanics atoms wouldn't exist and all matter is made of atoms.

If you ask for technical applications wich are not "classically" explainable: For example all solid state devices, like diodes, transistors, ... are based on matter waves, the crystal lattice that these devices are made up us just a quantum mechanical phenomen, the harddisk under your desk is a good example for spin based technology, which is also a purely quantum mechanical effect.

So in general look around and you see photons interacting with matterwaves, use your computer and you use "applied" matterwave theory.