Introduction
The study of quantum tunnelling and its applications has been of great interest among scientists, especially concerning its application in time travel. In this literature review, it is intended to integrate major findings from a choice of seminal articles that collectively shed light on quantum tunnelling’s multifaceted dimensions, from its core principles to experimental models and theoretical developments.
Mouchet and Delande (2002) establish the framework by characterizing tunnelling as a quantum effect that violates classical mechanics, specifically in Hamiltonian systems. Their analysis of continuous symmetry breakdown and chaotic dynamics effects on tunnelling provides a firm grasp of how tunnelling functions in intricate systems. Their study underscores the need for experimental devices capable of controlling quantum states, opening the door to subsequent investigations on chaotic tunnelling.
On this basis,
Per-stroke, Ru Feng et al. (2012) provide the first experimental simulation of quantum tunnelling utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. Their results support the possibility of witnessing quantum tunnelling across potential barriers and the oscillatory character of states within potential wells. This evidence from experience highlights the significance of quantum tunnelling in contemporary technology and experimental physics, showing its application in solving key scientific issues.
Mertig (2013) further develops the discourse with a study of the complex relationship between chaotic dynamics and quantum tunnelling. His discussion of tunnelling rates in systems such as hydrogen atoms and bosonic Josephson junctions underscores the complexity of tunnelling phenomena and their relationships to wave mechanics and dynamical systems. The effort adds depth to the study of the role of tunnelling in sophisticated quantum mechanics as well as its applications.
(Turok, 2013) examines the philosophical implications of quantum tunnelling as a quintessential difference between quantum and classical phenomena. His discussion of the measurement process and interference effects of strong measurements contributes to the richness of tunnelling discourse, especially concerning its exponential suppression and the use of complex numbers in quantum mechanics.
(Dubertrand et al., 2016) Formalize the idea of chaos-assisted tunnelling, which generalizes the conventional theories of tunnelling to include the interaction between chaotic and regular dynamics. Their results demonstrate that tunnelling may proceed through chaotic zones, providing a sophisticated analysis for the tunnelling mechanisms in higher-dimensional systems. This research has important implications regarding tunnelling in cold atom systems and the influence of chaos on tunnelling rates.
(G. Kelkar, 2017) Focuses on the time dimension of tunnelling and presents fundamental questions regarding the time taken for a particle to pass through a barrier. His discussion of experiments on tunnel ionization and electron tunnelling gives an insight into the time ideas involved with tunnelling, highlighting the strange nature of the process in quantum mechanics.
(Hao et al., 2019) Extend the argument of tunnelling times, specifically in the case of strong-field ionization. Their proposal of a quantum travel time theory is designed to elucidate the timescale of tunnelling processes, which is important for the further development of attosecond science. This article emphasizes the need to study tunnelling processes in light of recent experimental progress.
(Shoji, 2022) delves into the intricacies of quantum tunnelling in many-body systems and introduces the terminology of mixed and polychronic tunnelling. His path integral formulation is promising for use in quantum gravity and indicates that tunnelling phenomena might have larger implications for the conception of time in quantum contexts. Lastly,
(Akmentins et al., 2023) Underline the necessity of tuning quantum tunnelling for implementation in quantum technology. Their development of a universal scaling relation for escape probabilities is a key progress in controlling tunnelling rates, which is critical to the engineering of accurate quantum devices.
Collected together, these articles provide a sound base from which to comprehend the complex realities of quantum tunnelling and its proposed applications, especially in the area of temporal travel. Each article relies on the previous one to develop a rich fabric of information that will be used within the following literature review.
References
1. Mouchet, A. & Delande, D., 2002. Signatures of chaotic tunnelling.
2.Ru Feng, G., Lu, Y., Hao, L., Hao Zhang, F., & Lu Long, G., 2012. Experimental simulation of 3. Quantum tunneling in small systems.
4. Mertig, N., 2013. Complex Paths for Regular-to-Chaotic Tunneling Rates.
5. Turok, N., 2013. On Quantum Tunneling in Real Time.
6. Dubertrand, R., Billy, J., Guéry-Odelin, D., Georgeot, B., & Lemarié, G., 2016. Route towards the experimental observation of the large fluctuations due to chaos-assisted tunneling effects with cold atoms.
7. G. Kelkar, N., 2017. Electron tunneling times.
8. Hao, X., Shu, Z., Li, W., & Chen, J., 2019. Wavelength Dependent Tunneling Delay Time.
9. Shoji, Y., 2022. Path Integral for Mixed Tunneling, Polychronic Tunneling and Quantum Gravity.
10. Akmentins, A., Reifert, D., Weimann, T., Pierz, K., Kashcheyevs, V., & Ubbelohde, N., 2023. Universal scaling of adiabatic tunneling out of a shallow confinement potential.
By : Avishek Das