One hundred years of quantum mechanics.

Radical ideas often drive scientific progress. That was the fate of Erwin Schrödinger's 1926 paper on wave mechanics, which is a centerpiece of today's quantum theory (1). Over the past hundred years, quantum mechanics has evolved from a theoretical basis for understanding interactions between particles and fields (2) to an essential element for advancing technologies (see the figure) (3). Philosophical problems such as Schrödinger's cat (until observed, an entity can exist in a superposition of multiple states) developed into the field of quantum informatics. Gravitational wave detection, which provides a new probe of cosmic events, is empowered by quantum optics. Concepts in quantum physics that were once purely theoretical are now observed: The Higgs boson—a fundamental field responsible for mass—has been seen; quantum materials such as graphene are produced; attosecond (10–18 s) laser pulses are generated; and quantum turbulence may explain the 200-year-old problem of classical turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]