Microwave Experiments on Tunneling Time

Daniela Mugnai, Anedio Ranfagni

Anedio Ranfagni, Daniela Mugnai, Pasquale Fabeni +3 more

Daniela Mugnai, Anedio Ranfagni, Laura Ronchi

A. Agresti, Paolo Levi Sandri, C. Ranfagni +2 more

An alternative model for near-field propagation and optical tunneling is proposed following the lines of the path-integral method developed by Feynman, and in particular by using a transition-elements analysis. Such a model was able to account for the frequency dependency of delay-time results of an experiment involving microwave propagation in the near field using two horn antennas [A. Ranfagni et al., Phys. Rev. E 66, 036111 (2002)]. Furthermore, this approach is also capable of interpreting delay-time results as a function of the barrier width in a frustrated total internal reflection experiment performed at the microwave scale and in the optical region.

Guenter Nimtz

How much time does a wave packet spent in tunneling a barrier? Quantum mechanical calculations result in zero time inside a barrier. In the nineties analogous tunneling experiments with microwaves were carried out confirming quantum mechanics. Electron tunneling time is hard to measure being extremely short. However, quite recently the atomic ionization tunneling time has been measured. Experimental data of photonic, phononic, and electronic tunneling time is available now. It appears that the tunneling time is a universal property in the investigated time range of twelve orders of magnitude.

Hanna M. Brodowsky, Winfried Heitmann, G. Nimtz