This article is part of a special series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of quantum theory. Read more here
The foundation of quantum theory was laid by visionaries like Albert Einstein as early as 1905. However, it wasn’t until 1925 that the theory fully materialized, leaving a lasting impact on the world of science, technology, and beyond, as evidenced by this detailed timeline.
> 1905 Building upon Max Planck’s earlier discoveries, Albert Einstein introduces the concept of light particles with specific energies, known as “quanta of light,” marking a crucial early development in quantum theory.
> 1913 Niels Bohr presents a quantum model of the atom, proposing that electrons can only occupy discrete orbits with fixed energies, revolutionizing our understanding of atomic structure.
> 1919 Physicist Hendrika Johanna van Leeuwen puts forth a thesis suggesting that magnetism is governed by quantum mechanics, expanding the scope of quantum phenomena beyond the realm of atomic physics.
> 1925 Werner Heisenberg conducts groundbreaking calculations on the characteristics of electrons, treating them as matrices of values rather than single entities, a pivotal realization that paved the way for modern quantum mechanics.
> 1926 Erwin Schrödinger introduces an alternative quantum framework that describes electrons as waves using mathematical constructs known as wave functions, offering a different perspective on the behavior of subatomic particles.
> 1935 Schrödinger proposes a famous thought experiment involving a cat in a sealed box existing in a superposition of both alive and dead states, illustrating the concept of quantum indeterminacy. Additionally, Einstein, along with Nathan Rosen and Boris Podolsky, publishes a paper on quantum entanglement, highlighting the mysterious interconnectedness of particles even when separated by vast distances.
