Kvanttitunneloituminen

Kvanttitunneloituminen, also known as quantum tunneling, is a quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle passes through a potential barrier that it classically should not be able to surmount. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of the wave-like nature of particles as described by quantum mechanics.

In classical physics, a particle with insufficient energy cannot cross a potential barrier. However, in quantum mechanics, particles are described by wave functions, which can extend beyond the barrier. There is a non-zero probability that the particle can be found on the other side of the barrier, even if its energy is less than the height of the barrier. This probability decreases exponentially with the width and height of the barrier.

Quantum tunneling has been observed in various physical systems, including nuclear fusion in stars, scanning tunneling microscopy, and the operation of certain electronic devices like tunnel diodes and flash memory. It is also a fundamental aspect of quantum computing, where it is used in algorithms like Shor's algorithm for factoring large numbers.

The phenomenon was first described by Friedrich Hund in 1927, and its theoretical foundation was further developed by physicists such as Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger. The mathematical description of quantum tunneling is based on the Schrödinger equation, which governs the behavior of quantum systems.