Yes, particles other than photons can also exhibit wave-like behavior. This is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics known as wave-particle duality, which applies to all particles, not just photons. The wave-particle duality suggests that particles, such as electrons, protons, and even larger objects, can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties under certain circumstances.
Just as photons can display interference and diffraction patterns, electrons and other particles can also exhibit similar wave phenomena. This behavior has been experimentally confirmed through various experiments, such as electron diffraction experiments and the double-slit experiment performed with electrons.
In these experiments, electrons are observed to form interference patterns when passing through narrow slits or encountering obstacles, much like waves do. This indicates that particles, despite having mass and being localized entities, can display wave-like characteristics.
The wave-like behavior of particles is described by their associated matter waves, also known as de Broglie waves. These matter waves represent the probability distribution of finding a particle in different locations, and their wavelengths are inversely proportional to the particle's momentum. This relationship is encapsulated by the de Broglie wavelength equation: λ = h / p, where λ is the wavelength, h is Planck's constant, and p is the momentum of the particle.
The wave-particle duality is a central concept in quantum mechanics and highlights the fundamentally different nature of the microscopic world compared to our everyday macroscopic experience. It demonstrates that particles can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior, depending on the experimental setup and the observations being made.