Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves
Abstract Quantum tunneling is a quantum phenomenon in which a microscopic object crosses through a potential barrier even if its energy cannot overcome the barrier. A general belief is that tunneling occurs only when the barrier width is comparable to, or smaller than the de Broglie’s wavelength of...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-024-01924-y |
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| author | Yuan-Xing Yang Si-Yuan Bai Jun-Hong An |
| author_facet | Yuan-Xing Yang Si-Yuan Bai Jun-Hong An |
| author_sort | Yuan-Xing Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Quantum tunneling is a quantum phenomenon in which a microscopic object crosses through a potential barrier even if its energy cannot overcome the barrier. A general belief is that tunneling occurs only when the barrier width is comparable to, or smaller than the de Broglie’s wavelength of the object. Here, we study the tunneling of an ultracold atom among N far-separated trapping potentials in a state-selective optical lattice and present a mechanism to realize long-range tunneling. We find that, mediated by the propagating matter wave emitted from the atom, coherent tunneling of the atom to the remote lattices occurs as long as bound states are present in the energy spectrum of the system formed by the atom and its matter-wave. Going beyond the Markovian approximation, and breaking through the conventional distance constraint, our result opens another avenue to realizing tunneling and gives a guideline for developing tunneling devices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ff96bf46776b41c1a74a63b9f0d3ba54 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-ff96bf46776b41c1a74a63b9f0d3ba542025-01-05T12:32:44ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-01-018111010.1038/s42005-024-01924-yLong-range quantum tunneling via matter wavesYuan-Xing Yang0Si-Yuan Bai1Jun-Hong An2School of Physical Science and Technology & Lanzhou Center for Theoretical Physics, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Physical Science and Technology & Lanzhou Center for Theoretical Physics, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Physical Science and Technology & Lanzhou Center for Theoretical Physics, Lanzhou UniversityAbstract Quantum tunneling is a quantum phenomenon in which a microscopic object crosses through a potential barrier even if its energy cannot overcome the barrier. A general belief is that tunneling occurs only when the barrier width is comparable to, or smaller than the de Broglie’s wavelength of the object. Here, we study the tunneling of an ultracold atom among N far-separated trapping potentials in a state-selective optical lattice and present a mechanism to realize long-range tunneling. We find that, mediated by the propagating matter wave emitted from the atom, coherent tunneling of the atom to the remote lattices occurs as long as bound states are present in the energy spectrum of the system formed by the atom and its matter-wave. Going beyond the Markovian approximation, and breaking through the conventional distance constraint, our result opens another avenue to realizing tunneling and gives a guideline for developing tunneling devices.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-024-01924-y |
| spellingShingle | Yuan-Xing Yang Si-Yuan Bai Jun-Hong An Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves Communications Physics |
| title | Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| title_full | Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| title_fullStr | Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| title_short | Long-range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| title_sort | long range quantum tunneling via matter waves |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-024-01924-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuanxingyang longrangequantumtunnelingviamatterwaves AT siyuanbai longrangequantumtunnelingviamatterwaves AT junhongan longrangequantumtunnelingviamatterwaves |