Quantum mechanical barrier problems

H. Dekker

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 1987, vol. 146, issue 3, 396-403

Abstract: Dissipative (ohmic friction coefficient 2λ) and thermal effects in the quantum tunnelling decay rate Γ(λ, T, ε) of a weakly biased (energy |ε|⪡Ub) metastable oscillator (frequency ω0, leaking into free space through a quartic potential energy barrier (height Ub), are found to depend on the dimensionless bias parameter E0≡(|ε|32Ub)exp(ℏω02kBT). The freezing phenomenon reported in paper II, i.e. Γ(λ≠0,T=0,ε=0) = 0 − while Γ(λ=0, T≠0, ε=0) = Γ0 equals the tunnelling rate for the isolated system discussed in paper I — , is shown to occur only at strictly zero bias (E0=0, even at T=0). Any ε≠0 implies E0=∞ at T=0, which leads to Γ(λ=0, T=0, ε≠0) = Γ0 independent of the oder in which the zero damping and zero temperature limits are taken.

Date: 1987
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:146:y:1987:i:3:p:396-403

DOI: 10.1016/0378-4371(87)90276-7

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