New answers tagged tunneling
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The reason why classical solutions add a "lot" to the path integral is that their action (phase) is stationary i.e. almost the same phase as the action (phase) in their reasonably large vicinity of the configuration space; one gets positive interference as a consequence. More generic paths cancel with the adjacent ones whose phases are different and random.
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In order to have quantum tunneling one needs a specific wavefunction which is the solution of the boundary conditions of the problem. Specific means all energies and phases are known.
The wall, as a potential, cannot enter into a simple quantum mechanical equation because it is composed of an enormous number of molecules each in its wavefunction according ...
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infinite potential barrier – which is not of Dirac delta form – will not allow tunneling
isn't quite right. A barrier where there's a finite region of infinite potential will not allow tunneling, nor will potentials with singularities going suffiently fast $\to \infty$. But it's easy to construct a non-dirac potential with singularity that still ...
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