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arXiv:0711.4735 · International Journal of Modern Physics B

RECOVERING THE STATIONARY PHASE CONDITION FOR ACCURATELY OBTAINING SCATTERING AND TUNNELING TIMES

Alex E. Bernardini

Published Apr 10, 2009• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The stationary phase method is often employed for computing tunneling phase times of analytically-continuous gaussian or infinite-bandwidth step pulses which collide with a potential barrier. The indiscriminate utilization of this method without considering the barrier boundary effects leads to some misconceptions in the interpretation of the phase times. After re-examining the above barrier diffusion problem where we notice the wave packet collision necessarily leads to the possibility of multiple reflected and transmitted wave packets, we study the phase times for tunneling/reflecting particles in a framework where an idea of multiple wave packet decomposition is recovered. To partially overcome the analytical incongruities which rise up when tunneling phase time expressions are obtained, we present a theoretical exercise involving a symmetrical collision between two identical wave packets and a one-dimensional squared potential barrier, where the scattered wave packets can be recomposed by summing the amplitudes of simultaneously reflected and transmitted waves.

DOI
10.1142/s0217979209052121

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The stationary phase method is often employed for computing tunneling phase times of analytically-continuous gaussian or infinite-bandwidth step pulses which collide with a potential barrier. The indiscriminate utilization of this method without considering the barrier boundary effects leads to some misconceptions in the interpretation of the phase times. After re-examining the above barrier diffusion problem where we notice the wave packet collision necessarily leads to the possibility of multiple reflected and transmitted wave packets, we study the phase times for tunneling/reflecting particles in a framework where an idea of multiple wave packet decomposition is recovered. To partially overcome the analytical incongruities which rise up when tunneling phase time expressions are obtained, we present a theoretical exercise involving a symmetrical collision between two identical wave packets and a one-dimensional squared potential barrier, where the scattered wave packets can be recomposed by summing the amplitudes of simultaneously reflected and transmitted waves.
Abstract: After reexamining the above- barrier diffusion problem where we notice that the wave packet collision implies the existence of multiple reflected and transmitted wave packets, we analyze the way of obtaining phase times for tunneling/reflecting particles in a particular colliding configuration where the idea of multiple peak decomposition is recovered. To partially overcome the analytical incongruities which frequently arise when the stationary phase method is adopted for computing the (tunneling) phase-time expressions, we present a theoretical exercise involving a symmetrical collision between two identical wave packets and a unidimensional squared potential barrier where the scattered wave packets can be recomposed by summing the amplitudes of simultaneously reflected and transmitted wave components so that the conditions for applying the stationary phase principle are totally recovered. Lessons concerning the use of the stationary phase method are drawn
Using a recently developed procedure---multiple wave packet decomposition---here we study the phase time formulation for tunneling or reflecting particles colliding with a potential barrier. To partially overcome the analytical difficulties which frequently arise when the stationary phase method is employed for deriving phase (tunneling) time expressions, we present a theoretical exercise involving a symmetrical collision between two identical wave packets and an one-dimensional rectangular potential barrier. Summing the amplitudes of the reflected and transmitted waves---using a method we call multiple peak decomposition---is shown to allow reconstruction of the scattered wave packets in a way which allows the stationary phase principle to be recovered.
Some recent theoretical studies tended to employ analytically-continuous gaussian, or infinite-bandwidth step pulses to examine tunneling process. The stationary phase method is often employed to this aim. However, gaussian functions do not have a well-defined front, such that their speed of propagation becomes ambiguous. Also, infinite bandwidth signals cannot propagate through any real physical medium (whose transfer function is therefore finite) without pulse distortion, which also leads to ambiguities in determining propagation velocity during the tunneling process. In this manuscript, we appoint some incompatibilities with the application of the method of stationary phase in deriving tunneling times which, eventually, can ruin the superluminal interpretation of transition times.
In this paper, we discuss the tunneling time of a quantum particle through a rectangular barrier. The reflection and transmission times associated with the wave packets representing the particle are discussed. By using an initial Gaussian momentum distribution, we carry out a comparative analysis of the stationary phases of the incident, reflected, and transmitted wave packets leading to the reflection and transmission times $\ensuremath{\Delta}{t}_{R}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{t}_{T},$ respectively. In the present treatment of this old and very known problem we take into account the deformations of the reflected and transmitted momentum distributions. These deformations produce a dependence of the reflection and transmission times on the location of the initial wave packet. In a parallel calculation, by numerically monitoring the time evolution of the system, we characterize a reflection and a transmission time. Such times agree with the ones obtained via the stationary phase method.
Some recent theoretical studies have tended to employ analytically-continuous {\\em gaussian}, or infinite-bandwidth step pulses to examine tunneling process. The stationary phase method is often employed to this aim. However, {\\em gaussian} functions do not have a well-defined front, such that their speed of propagation becomes ambiguous. Also, infinite bandwidth signals cannot propagate through any real physical medium (whose transfer function is therefore finite) without pulse distortion, which also leads to ambiguities in determining propagation velocity during the tunneling process. In this manuscript, we appoint some incompatibilities with the application of the method of stationary phase in deriving tunneling times which, eventually, can ruin the {\\em superluminal} interpretation of transition times.
The non-stationary solution method for a problem of tunneling of nonrelativistic particles and photons through a barrier on the basis of multiple internal re ections of wave packets in relation of barrier boundaries is submitted.The method is described and proved in solving an one-dimentional problem of tunneling of the particle through a rectangular barrier.For problems of tunneling of the particle through a spherically symmetric barrier and the photon through an one-dimensional barrier the amplitudes of transmitted and re ected wave packets in relation to the barrier, times of the tunneling and the re ection are found using of the method.Hartman's and Fletcher's eect is analysed.