What's the smallest thing you've ever held in your hand? The success of wave-particle duality in describing the properties of light paved the way for using that same idea in describing matter. Mulliken , in which electrons are described by mathematical functions delocalized over an entire molecule. By examining or studying the wave nature of electrons, the electrical properties of silicon an element used to create microchips in computers can be manipulated, so band structure can change and conductivity can change. Density functional theory : is a computational quantum mechanical modeling method that calculates the electronic structure of atoms and molecules with the use of functionals of spatially dependent electron density. New York: Cambridge University Press. These devices have led to significant advances in productivity, communication, and technology all over the world. Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name:. In other projects.