Quantum Physics Timeline

Max Planck

Max Planck introduces the concept of quantized energy to explain black-body radiation, marking the birth of quantum theory.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein explains the photoelectric effect using the concept of light quanta (photons), providing evidence for the particle nature of light.

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford discovers the atomic nucleus through his gold foil experiment, revolutionizing atomic structure understanding.

Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr proposes a quantum model of the atom with electrons orbiting in discrete energy levels.

Otto Stern & Walther Gerlach

First demonstration of space quantization and the existence of electron spin.

Arthur Compton

Arthur Compton demonstrates the particle nature of X-rays through scattering experiments.

Louis de Broglie

Louis de Broglie proposes that matter has wave-like properties, introducing the concept of matter waves.

Werner Heisenberg

Werner Heisenberg develops matrix mechanics, the first complete formulation of quantum mechanics.

Erwin Schrödinger

Erwin Schrödinger develops wave mechanics and the Schrödinger equation, providing a mathematical framework for quantum mechanics.

Werner Heisenberg

Heisenberg states the uncertainty principle, establishing fundamental limits on the precision of simultaneous measurements.

Niels Bohr & Werner Heisenberg

Bohr and Heisenberg develop the Copenhagen interpretation, introducing the concept of wave function collapse and the role of the observer.

Max Born

Max Born proposes the probabilistic interpretation of the wave function.

Paul Dirac

Paul Dirac develops the relativistic wave equation for electrons, predicting antimatter.

Albert Einstein

Einstein develops the ensemble interpretation, suggesting quantum mechanics describes statistical ensembles rather than individual systems.

James Chadwick

James Chadwick discovers the neutron, completing the basic atomic model.

Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen

Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen publish their famous paper questioning the completeness of quantum mechanics.

Erwin Schrödinger

Erwin Schrödinger proposes his famous thought experiment highlighting quantum superposition.

Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, Sin-Itiro Tomonaga

Development of quantum electrodynamics (QED) by Feynman, Schwinger, and Tomonaga.

David Bohm

David Bohm develops the pilot-wave theory, offering a deterministic interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Hugh Everett

Hugh Everett proposes the many-worlds interpretation, suggesting all possible outcomes of quantum measurements occur in parallel universes.

Yakir Aharonov & David Bohm

Discovery of quantum effect where particles are affected by electromagnetic potentials even in regions of zero field.

John Bell

John Bell proves that no local hidden variable theory can reproduce all the predictions of quantum mechanics.

Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber

Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber propose a theory of spontaneous wave function collapse.

Robert Griffiths

Robert Griffiths develops the consistent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg

Development of the Standard Model of particle physics, unifying electromagnetic and weak forces.

John Cramer

John Cramer proposes the transactional interpretation, suggesting quantum events involve both forward and backward-in-time waves.

Carlton Caves, Christopher Fuchs, Rüdiger Schack

Development of QBism, interpreting quantum probabilities as subjective degrees of belief.

Alain Aspect

Alain Aspect performs experiments confirming quantum entanglement and violation of Bell's inequalities.

Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman proposes the concept of quantum computing to simulate quantum systems.

Carlo Rovelli

Carlo Rovelli develops the relational interpretation, suggesting quantum states are relative to observers.

Charles Bennett et al.

Charles Bennett and colleagues propose the quantum teleportation protocol.

Peter Shor

Peter Shor develops a quantum algorithm for factoring large numbers.

Eric Cornell, Carl Wieman, Wolfgang Ketterle

Creation of the first Bose-Einstein condensate, demonstrating quantum effects at macroscopic scales.

Peter Shor, Andrew Steane

Development of quantum error correction codes by Peter Shor and Andrew Steane.

Anton Zeilinger

First demonstration of quantum entanglement over long distances.

Various researchers

Development of quantum dots for applications in quantum computing and displays.

IBM & Stanford University

IBM and Stanford University create the first quantum computer with 7 qubits.

ID Quantique

First commercial quantum cryptography system developed by ID Quantique.

Various research groups

First demonstration of quantum memory storage in atomic ensembles.

Various research groups

Development of the first quantum simulator with more than 100 qubits.

CERN

Confirmation of the Higgs boson particle at the Large Hadron Collider.

Google Research

First demonstration of quantum supremacy with a programmable quantum processor.

LIGO Collaboration

First direct detection of gravitational waves, confirming Einstein's predictions.

Chinese Academy of Sciences

First quantum network testbed established in China.

Google Research

Google announces achievement of quantum supremacy with their 53-qubit quantum computer.

Various research groups

First demonstration of quantum advantage in a practical application.

Various research groups

First demonstration of quantum error correction with logical qubits.

Various research groups

Development of the first quantum internet protocol stack.