This document summarizes a seminar talk about quantum tunnelling and its applications. Quantum tunnelling refers to the phenomenon where a particle tunnels through a barrier that it could not surmount classically. The probability of tunnelling decreases with increasing mass and energy gap. Tunnelling plays a role in radioactive decay, nuclear fusion in stars, and enzymatic reactions. Applications include electron tunnelling in photosynthesis and DNA mutations, cold electron emission in devices, quantum conductivity in metals, and scanning tunnelling microscopes. While the laws of quantum mechanics apply to all objects, macroscopic objects like humans do not exhibit tunnelling due to decoherence from the interference of their many constituent particle waves.
In 1994, Miguel Alcubierre proposed a method for changing the geometry of space by creating a wave that would cause the fabric of space ahead of a spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand. The ship would then ride this wave inside a region of flat space, known as a warp bubble, and would not move within this bubble but instead be carried along as the region itself moves due to the actions of the drive.
In a recent study, physicist Dr Erik Lentz outlined a way that a rocket could theoretically travel faster than light – or over 186,000 miles per second. At that speed, astronauts could reach other star systems in just a few years, allowing humanity to colonise faraway planets. Current rocket technology would take roughly 6,300 years to reach Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun. So-called “warp drives” have been proposed before, but often rely on theoretical systems that break the laws of physics. That’s because according to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, it’s physically impossible for anything to travel faster than the speed of light.
Dr Lentz, a scientist at Göttingen University in Germany, says his imaginary warp drive would operate within the boundaries of physics. While other theories rely on “exotic” concepts, such as negative energy, his gets around this problem using a new theoretical particle. These hyper-fast “solitons” can travel at any speed while obeying the laws of physics, according to a Göttingen University press release. A soliton – also referred to as a “warp bubble” – is a compact wave that acts like a particle while maintaining its shape and moving at constant velocity.
Dr Lentz said he cooked up his theory after analysing existing research and discovered gaps in previous warp drive studies. He believes that solitons could travel faster than light and “create a conducting plasma and classical electromagnetic fields”. Both of these concepts are understood under conventional physics and obey Einstein’s theory of relativity. While his warp drive provides the tantalising possibility of faster-than-light travel, it’s still very much in the idea phase for now.
The contraption would require an enormous amount of energy that isn’t possible using modern technology. “The energy savings would need to be drastic, of approximately 30 orders of magnitude to be in range of modern nuclear fission reactors,” Dr Lentz said. The research was published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.
In 1994, Miguel Alcubierre proposed a method for changing the geometry of space by creating a wave that would cause the fabric of space ahead of a spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand. The ship would then ride this wave inside a region of flat space, known as a warp bubble, and would not move within this bubble but instead be carried along as the region itself moves due to the actions of the drive.
In a recent study, physicist Dr Erik Lentz outlined a way that a rocket could theoretically travel faster than light – or over 186,000 miles per second. At that speed, astronauts could reach other star systems in just a few years, allowing humanity to colonise faraway planets. Current rocket technology would take roughly 6,300 years to reach Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun. So-called “warp drives” have been proposed before, but often rely on theoretical systems that break the laws of physics. That’s because according to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, it’s physically impossible for anything to travel faster than the speed of light.
Dr Lentz, a scientist at Göttingen University in Germany, says his imaginary warp drive would operate within the boundaries of physics. While other theories rely on “exotic” concepts, such as negative energy, his gets around this problem using a new theoretical particle. These hyper-fast “solitons” can travel at any speed while obeying the laws of physics, according to a Göttingen University press release. A soliton – also referred to as a “warp bubble” – is a compact wave that acts like a particle while maintaining its shape and moving at constant velocity.
Dr Lentz said he cooked up his theory after analysing existing research and discovered gaps in previous warp drive studies. He believes that solitons could travel faster than light and “create a conducting plasma and classical electromagnetic fields”. Both of these concepts are understood under conventional physics and obey Einstein’s theory of relativity. While his warp drive provides the tantalising possibility of faster-than-light travel, it’s still very much in the idea phase for now.
The contraption would require an enormous amount of energy that isn’t possible using modern technology. “The energy savings would need to be drastic, of approximately 30 orders of magnitude to be in range of modern nuclear fission reactors,” Dr Lentz said. The research was published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.
CHAPTER 5 Wave Properties of Matter and Quantum Mechanics I
5.1 X-Ray Scattering (review and some more material)
5.2 De Broglie Waves
5.3 Electron Scattering / Transmission electron microscopy
5.4 Wave Motion
5.5 Waves or Particles?
5.6 Uncertainty Principle
5.7 Probability, Wave Functions, and the Copenhagen Interpretation
5.8 Particle in a Box
Introducation to optical properties and also relation with nano material. As most of the properties are similar for simple and nano material only some fundamental points are changed.
This article delves into the realms of quantum physics and quantum computing, designed with beginners in mind. If you're entirely new to the world of quantum physics and quantum computing, this resource offers an ideal opportunity to grasp the inner workings of these subjects.
While my intention was to provide comprehensive coverage of a wide range of topics, I found it challenging to delve deeply into each one. As a result, I've only touched upon a few key subjects in this article. This marks my inaugural attempt at writing an article, so I acknowledge the possibility of errors. Nonetheless, the experience of embarking on this writing journey has been quite rewarding.
CHAPTER 5 Wave Properties of Matter and Quantum Mechanics I
5.1 X-Ray Scattering (review and some more material)
5.2 De Broglie Waves
5.3 Electron Scattering / Transmission electron microscopy
5.4 Wave Motion
5.5 Waves or Particles?
5.6 Uncertainty Principle
5.7 Probability, Wave Functions, and the Copenhagen Interpretation
5.8 Particle in a Box
Introducation to optical properties and also relation with nano material. As most of the properties are similar for simple and nano material only some fundamental points are changed.
This article delves into the realms of quantum physics and quantum computing, designed with beginners in mind. If you're entirely new to the world of quantum physics and quantum computing, this resource offers an ideal opportunity to grasp the inner workings of these subjects.
While my intention was to provide comprehensive coverage of a wide range of topics, I found it challenging to delve deeply into each one. As a result, I've only touched upon a few key subjects in this article. This marks my inaugural attempt at writing an article, so I acknowledge the possibility of errors. Nonetheless, the experience of embarking on this writing journey has been quite rewarding.
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2. POINTS TO PONDER
Introduction
The process
Importance
Few Applications
Conclusion
3. A Thought Experiment
Let us imagine throwing a
ball on the wall.
Probability of ball
reflecting back from the
wall is unity.
BUT WHAT WILL
HAPPEN IF WE
SQUEEZE DOWN THE
SIZE OF THIS BALL TO
THE DIMENSION OF
ELECTRONS ??
4. A Thought Experiment
The reflection coefficient
now is not UNITY.
There will be a small but
finite probability of
transmission of our ball.
SO WHAT IS THIS
HAPPENING HERE?
“QUANTUM
TUNNELLING”
5. What is Quantum Tunnelling ?
Quantum tunnelling refers
to the quantum
mechanical phenomenon
where a particle tunnels
through a barrier that
it classically could not
surmount.
6. The Process
This process relies on
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
principle. Because this
process of tunnelling relies
on probability.
The probability of an
object tunnelling through a
barrier decreases with the
object's increasing mass
and with the increasing gap
between the energy of the
object and the energy of the
barrier.
7. Importance
Tunnelling occurs with barriers of thickness around
1-3 nm and smaller.
Tunnelling plays an essential role in several physical,
chemical, and biological phenomena, such as radioactive
decay or the manifestation of large kinetic isotope effects
in chemicals of enzymatic reactions.
Quantum tunnelling is essential for nuclear fusion in stars.
The astrochemical syntheses of various molecules
in interstellar clouds can be explained such as the
synthesis of molecular hydrogen, water (ice)
and Formaldehyde.
8. Applications of Quantum Tunnelling
Quantum biology
Electron tunnelling is a key
factor in many biochemical
redox reactions
(photosynthesis, cellular
respiration) as well as
enzymatic catalysis
Proton tunnelling is a key
factor in spontaneous
mutation of DNA.
9. Cold Emission
Cold emission of electrons
is relevant to the emission
of electrons in
semiconductor where they
randomly jump from the
surface of metals to follow
the voltage bias.
used in flash memory ,
vacuum tubes, as well as
some electron microscopes.
10. Quantum Conductivity
When a free electron wave packet encounters a long array
of uniformly spaced barriers the reflected part of the wave
packet interferes uniformly with the transmitted one
between all barriers so that there are cases of 100%
transmission.
The theory predicts that if positively charged nuclei form
a perfectly rectangular array, electrons will tunnel through
the metal as free electrons, leading to an extremely
high conductance.
11. Scanning Tunnelling Microscope
It operates by taking
advantage of the
relationship between
quantum tunnelling with
distance.
By using piezoelectric
rods that change in size
when voltage is applied
over them the height of the
tip can be adjusted to keep
the tunnelling current
constant.
12. Can humans tunnel ?
In principle, macroscopic
objects like us also obey the
laws of quantum
mechanics.
So can we also tunnel ?
14. Explanation
We are highly complex organism made up of an
astronomically large number of particles.
Even though each particle behaves like a wave, when
combined together these `matter waves' will interfere,
resulting in a cancelling-out of the peaks and troughs.
This decoherence is what prevents large objects from
displaying observable wave-like behaviour, including
tunnelling.
