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The de Broglie wavelength is the distance over which a matter wave accumulates one full spatial quantum phase cycle in its propagation direction:Here $h$ is the Planck constant, $\mathbf{p}$ is the momentum, and $\mathbf{k}$ is the angular wavevector. The scalar $p$ in $\lambda =h/p$ means the positive momentum magnitude, not a signed component. Reversing a momentum reverses the wavevector without making the wavelength negative. At zero momentum there is no finite spatial phase period: the limiting wavelength diverges.

This relation makes microscopic diffraction accessible with particles: increasing the momentum shortens the wavelength until it is comparable with the spacings in a crystal scattering problem. The electron accelerating-voltage wavelength gives a practical way to tune this scale, while the Davisson–Germer experiment tests it by comparing electron diffraction directions with independently known crystal geometry. The same relation applies to neutral particles in a neutron interferometer; electric charge is not a requirement for a matter wave.

The wavelength belongs to the wavefunction, not to a sinusoidal path of a particle. A free-particle momentum convention makes the distinction especially clear: a plane wave has a rotating complex quantum phase but a constant probability density. A localized wave packet contains a range of momenta and therefore generally has a range of wavelengths, rather than one exact spatial period.

Let an Electron start with negligible kinetic energy and move through an increase $U>0$ in electric potential. Its electric charge is $q=-e$, where $e>0$ is the elementary charge, so the decrease in potential energy is $eU$. In a field-free region after acceleration,This is an Electron formula, not a universal conversion from voltage to wavelength. It assumes negligible initial kinetic energy, negligible losses, and $eU\ll m_e{c}^2$, where $c$ is the speed of light. It describes the de Broglie wavelength outside the crystal; the potential energy inside a material can change the local kinetic momentum.

For $U=54\mathrm{V}$, take $h=6.62607015\times 10^{-34}\mathrm{J}\mathrm{s}$, $e=1.602176634\times 10^{-19}\mathrm{C}$, and $m_e\simeq 9.1093837\times 10^{-31}\mathrm{kg}$. The rounded Electron mass is consistent with the 2022 recommended constants.^[ref]The electronvolt is an energy unit: $54\mathrm{eV}$ must be converted to joules before combining it with $m_e$ in SI units. Dimensional analysis checks both steps:The resulting velocity is about $4.3584\times 10^6\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, or $0.01454c$, so the nonrelativistic assumption is consistent. For a larger accelerating voltage, the relativistic energy-momentum relation gives $pc=\sqrt{K(K+2m_e{c}^2)}$, with $K=eU$, while $\lambda =h/p$ still holds. At $54\mathrm{V}$ the relativistic wavelength is shorter by about $0.00264\%$.