Tunnelling of the 3rd kind: A test of the effective non-locality of quantum field theory

Gardiner, S.A.; Gies, H.; Jaeckel, J.; Wallace, C.J.

Abstract

Integrating out virtual quantum fluctuations in an originally local quantum field theory results in an effective theory which is non-local. In this letter we argue that tunnelling of the 3rd kind —where particles traverse a barrier by splitting into a pair of virtual particles which recombine only after a finite distance— provides a direct test of this non-locality. We sketch a quantum-optical setup to test this effect, and investigate observable effects in a simple toy model.

Citation

Gardiner, S., Gies, H., Jaeckel, J., & Wallace, C. (2013). Tunnelling of the 3rd kind: A test of the effective non-locality of quantum field theory. European Physical Society Letters, 101(6), Article 61001. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/101/61001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 12, 2014
• Journal: Europhysics Letters
• Print ISSN: 0295-5075
• Electronic ISSN: 1286-4854
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 101
• Issue: 6
• Article Number: 61001
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/101/61001
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1464562