Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Semiclassical traversal time analysis of superluminal tunneling

D. Sokolovski, Y. Liu

Published Dec 12, 2000• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In the limit $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}0,$ a tunneling particle can be shown to follow classical trajectories which experience in the classically forbidden region a deep well rather than a potential barrier and, therefore, spend a very small amount of time there. Such trajectories interfere destructively. While the tunneling rate is small, the tunneling itself is very fast.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.63.012109

Related papers

Quantum tunneling time: Insights from an exactly solvable model

Seyedmohammad Yusofsani, M. Kolesík

Quantum particles interacting with potential barriers are ubiquitous in physics, and the question of how much time they spend inside classically forbidden regions has attracted interest for many decades. Recent developments of new experimental techniques revived the issue and ignited a debate with often contradictory results. This motivates the present study of an exactly solvable model for quantum tunneling induced by a strong field. We show that the tunneling dynamics can depart significantly from the scenario in which the barrier-traversal time is zero or very small. However, our findings do not support the idea of a well-defined tunneling time either. Our numerically exact results should help in finding a consensus about this fundamental problem.

arXiv:2107.01737•Physical Review A•May 27, 2020•20 citations

Tunneling Time of Particles Through a Potential Barrier

Chun-Fang Li, Wang Qi

A new tunneling time is proposed by introducing the transfer speed of energy carried by tunneling particles. This speed is similar to the energy transfer speed in electromagnetism, and with the tunneling time, the well-known superluminality may be avoided. The low energy limit, the critical limit, and the opaque limit are considered, which are physically meaningful. Comparisons with dwell time and Büttiker and Landauer's semiclassical time are also made.

Chinese Physics Letters•Dec 1, 2000•3 citations

Tunneling times

Partha Ghose

Introduction In classical physics it is meaningful to ask the question, ‘How much time does a particle take to pass through a given region?’ The interesting question in quantum mechanics is: does a particle take a definite time to tunnel through a classically forbidden region? The question has been debated ever since the idea that there was such a time in quantum theory was first put forward by MacColl way back in 1932 [253]. A plethora of times has since then been proposed, and the answer seems to depend on the interpretation of quantum mechanics one uses. A reliable answer is clearly of great importance for the design of high-frequency quantum devices, tunnelling phenomena (as, for example, in scanning tunneling microscopy), nuclear and chemical reactions and, of course, for purely conceptual reasons. Most of the controversies centre around simple and intuitive notions in idealized one-dimensional models in a scattering configuration in which a particle (usually represented by a wave packet) is incident on a potential barrier localized in the interval [ a, b ]. Three kinds of time have been defined in this context. One, called the transmission time τ T ( a, b ), is the average time spent within the barrier region by the particles that are eventually transmitted. Similarly, the reflection time τ R ( a, b ) is the average time spent within the barrier region by the particles that are eventually reflected.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Apr 29, 1999•0 citations

Time-dependent semiclassical tunneling through barriers

Kenneth G. Kay

There has been a surprising degree of uncertainty about how, or even whether, the standard semiclassical theory of Van Vleck and Gutzwiller (VVG) can be used to treat the time-dependent dynamics of tunneling through barriers. At issue is how semiclassical theory describes the time evolution of tunneling. This uncertainty has hindered development of practical techniques for semiclassical calculations of multidimensional systems. It is shown here that the VVG theory can indeed be applied to barrier tunneling, but generally requires consideration of classical trajectories with both complex initial conditions and complex time paths, even for systems with one degree of freedom. The present approach is verified by applying it to the classically forbidden propagation of a wave packet through a one-dimensional barrier---a very basic problem that cannot be treated by the VVG theory without the modifications described here.

Physical Review A•Jul 23, 2013•19 citations

Quantum tunneling and the semiclassical real time dynamics of the density matrix

Joachim Ankerhold, Hermann Grabert

The time evolution of the density matrix of a system with potential barrier is determined using path integrals. Describing the quantum dynamics in terms of the semiclassical motion in the complex coordinate plane, a detailed picture of barrier penetration in the time domain and the change-over from thermal activation to quantum tunneling is gained. Deep tunneling is shown to arise from specific fluctuations about the semiclassical real time trajectories.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Aug 1, 1999•18 citations

On the status of quantum tunneling times

Grace E. Field

How long does a quantum particle take to traverse a classically forbidden energy barrier? In other words, what is the correct expression for quantum tunneling time? This seemingly simple question has inspired widespread debate in the physics literature. By drawing an analogy with the double-slit experiment, I argue that we should not even expect the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics to provide an expression for quantum tunneling time. I explain how this conclusion connects to time’s special status in quantum mechanics, the meaningfulness of classically inspired concepts in different interpretations of quantum mechanics, and the prospect of constructing experimental tests to distinguish between different interpretations.

•May 21, 2020•0 citations
In the limit \ensuremath\Elzxh\ensuremath→0,\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}0,\ensuremath\Elzxh\ensuremath→​0, a tunneling particle can be shown to follow classical trajectories which experience in the classically forbidden region a deep well rather than a potential barrier and, therefore, spend a very small amount of time there. Such trajectories interfere destructively. While the tunneling rate is small, the tunneling itself is very fast.
Quantum particles interacting with potential barriers are ubiquitous in physics, and the question of how much time they spend inside classically forbidden regions has attracted interest for many decades. Recent developments of new experimental techniques revived the issue and ignited a debate with often contradictory results. This motivates the present study of an exactly solvable model for quantum tunneling induced by a strong field. We show that the tunneling dynamics can depart significantly from the scenario in which the barrier-traversal time is zero or very small. However, our findings do not support the idea of a well-defined tunneling time either. Our numerically exact results should help in finding a consensus about this fundamental problem.
Introduction In classical physics it is meaningful to ask the question, ‘How much time does a particle take to pass through a given region?’ The interesting question in quantum mechanics is: does a particle take a definite time to tunnel through a classically forbidden region? The question has been debated ever since the idea that there was such a time in quantum theory was first put forward by MacColl way back in 1932 [253]. A plethora of times has since then been proposed, and the answer seems to depend on the interpretation of quantum mechanics one uses. A reliable answer is clearly of great importance for the design of high-frequency quantum devices, tunnelling phenomena (as, for example, in scanning tunneling microscopy), nuclear and chemical reactions and, of course, for purely conceptual reasons. Most of the controversies centre around simple and intuitive notions in idealized one-dimensional models in a scattering configuration in which a particle (usually represented by a wave packet) is incident on a potential barrier localized in the interval [ a, b ]. Three kinds of time have been defined in this context. One, called the transmission time τ T ( a, b ), is the average time spent within the barrier region by the particles that are eventually transmitted. Similarly, the reflection time τ R ( a, b ) is the average time spent within the barrier region by the particles that are eventually reflected.
There has been a surprising degree of uncertainty about how, or even whether, the standard semiclassical theory of Van Vleck and Gutzwiller (VVG) can be used to treat the time-dependent dynamics of tunneling through barriers. At issue is how semiclassical theory describes the time evolution of tunneling. This uncertainty has hindered development of practical techniques for semiclassical calculations of multidimensional systems. It is shown here that the VVG theory can indeed be applied to barrier tunneling, but generally requires consideration of classical trajectories with both complex initial conditions and complex time paths, even for systems with one degree of freedom. The present approach is verified by applying it to the classically forbidden propagation of a wave packet through a one-dimensional barrier---a very basic problem that cannot be treated by the VVG theory without the modifications described here.
How long does a quantum particle take to traverse a classically forbidden energy barrier? In other words, what is the correct expression for quantum tunneling time? This seemingly simple question has inspired widespread debate in the physics literature. By drawing an analogy with the double-slit experiment, I argue that we should not even expect the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics to provide an expression for quantum tunneling time. I explain how this conclusion connects to time’s special status in quantum mechanics, the meaningfulness of classically inspired concepts in different interpretations of quantum mechanics, and the prospect of constructing experimental tests to distinguish between different interpretations.