Quantum Mechanics as a Classical Theory XIII: The Tunnel Effect

A semiclassical method of complex trajectories for the calculation of the tunneling exponent in systems with many degrees of freedom is further developed. It is supplemented with an easily implementable technique, which enables one to single out the physically relevant trajectory from the whole set of complex classical trajectories. The method is applied to semiclassical transitions of a bound system through a potential barrier. We find that the properties of physically relev...

We develop a new variant of the wave-packet analysis and solve the tunneling time problem for one particle. Our approach suggests an individual asymptotic description of the quantum subensembles of transmitted and reflected particles both at the final and initial stage of tunneling. We find the initial states of both subensembles, which are non-orthogonal. The latter reflects ultimately the fact that at the initial stage of tunneling it is impossible to predict whether a part...

Recent developments in elementary quantum mechanics have seen a number of extraordinary claims regarding quantum behaviour, and even questioning internal consistency of the theory. These are, we argue, different disguises of what Feynman described as quantum theory's "only mystery".

As a serious attempt for constructing a new foundation for describing micro-incidents from a local causal standpoint, I explained before that each micro-entity can be assumed to be composed of a probability field joined to a particle (called a particle-field or PF system) which is endowed with energy, having an objective character. In this essay, some odd quantum phenomena including the tunneling effect, the measurement problem and the EPR theorem are reexamined in detail fro...

With reference to a particle tunneling through two successive barriers, it seems to have been generally accepted that the tunneling time does not depend on the separation distance between the barriers. This phenomenon has been called the {\it generalized Hartman effect}. In this letter, we point out a lack of mathematical rigour in the reasoning by which this effect was deduced about ten years ago. A mathematically rigorous treatment shows us that the tunneling time does inde...

The concepts of quantile position, trajectory, and velocity are defined. For a tunneling quantum mechanical wave packet, it is proved that its quantile position always stays behind that of a free wave packet with the same initial parameters. In quantum mechanics the quantile trajectories are mathematically identical to Bohm's trajectories. A generalization to three dimensions is given.

This is an analysis of some aspects of an old but still controversial topic, superluminal quantum tunneling. Some features of quantum tunneling described in literature, such as definition of the tunneling time and a frequency range of a signal, are discussed. The argument is presented that claim of superluminal signaling allegedly observed in frustrated internal reflection experiment was based on the wrong interpretation of the tunneling process. A thought experiment similar ...

We consider simple models of tunneling of an object with intrinsic degrees of freedom. This important problem was not extensively studied until now, in spite of numerous applications in various areas of physics and astrophysics. We show possibilities of enhancement for the probability of tunneling due to the presence of intrinsic degrees of freedom split by weak external fields or by polarizability of the slow composite object.

The decay rates of quasistable states in quantum field theories are usually calculated using instanton methods. Standard derivations of these methods rely in a crucial way upon deformations and analytic continuations of the physical potential, and on the saddle point approximation. While the resulting procedure can be checked against other semi-classical approaches in some one-dimensional cases, it is challenging to trace the role of the relevant physical scales, and any intu...

Process of quantum tunneling of particles in various physical systems can be effectively controlled even by a weak and slow varying in time electromagnetic signal if to adapt specially its shape to a particular system. During an under-barrier motion of a particle such signal provides a "coherent" assistance of tunneling by the multi-quanta absorption resulting in a strong enhancement of the tunneling probability. The semiclassical approach based on trajectories in the complex...