Max von Laue was a German physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1914 for his discovery of X-ray diffraction in crystals. This groundbreaking work provided crucial evidence for the wave nature of X-rays and contributed to the development of crystallography. Von Laue's research significantly advanced our understanding of the structure of matter at the atomic level.
"There is no doubt that I, also, had long been aware of the problem, i.e. producing X-ray interferences, before the inherent difficulties had finally been surmounted."
"If diffraction or interference phenomena were to be sought it was therefore necessary, in accordance with the basic principles of wave theory, to select for the test arrangement far smaller decisive dimensions than those employed in corresponding tests with visible light."
"For both reasons, owing to the thermal motion and to the working together of various wavelengths, factors arise which, in a similar manner to the structural factor, exert some influence upon the brightness of the interference points but not upon their location."
"Notwithstanding these major arguments the wave theory initially did not meet with complete acceptance."