A Probability Distribution for Quantum Tunneling Times

<div>Close views of the plot at the top of Figure <a href="../fig5/">5</a>, corresponding to the barrier width <span class="nowrap"><svg height="9.63826pt" id="M242" style="vertical-align:-0.3499298pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 47.4795 9.63826" width="47.4795pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M452 333C452 398 425 448 375 448C329 448 235 404 140 292H138L229 683C233 701 234 712 225 712C208 712 149 686 66 677L64 652H97C135 652 140 651 129 598L38 167C23 96 29 57 44 33C60 7 98 -12 132 -12C169 -12 232 3 290 41C383 102 452 223 452 333ZM365 316C365 199 308 87 239 49C221 39 200 35 183 35C137 35 99 70 112 163C116 191 123 215 129 233C190 316 290 392 330 392C348 392 365 372 365 316Z" id="g113-99"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,9.007,0)"><path d="M535 230V280H52V230H535Z" id="g117-33"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,19.543,0)"><path d="M483 97L471 123C436 91 401 65 392 65C388 65 384 74 390 106C414 239 444 378 457 429L455 433C444 433 429 436 416 439C392 444 368 448 344 448C281 448 204 415 152 376C71 315 23 205 23 103C23 21 57 -12 85 -12C114 -12 149 6 185 34C231 70 285 119 329 183H331L309 81C292 0 308 -12 326 -12C350 -12 421 24 483 97ZM374 387C370 363 356 291 345 261C315 193 181 50 139 50C124 50 110 71 110 118C110 224 153 331 218 379C238 394 271 402 301 402C329 402 359 394 374 387Z" id="g113-98"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,29.755,0)"><path d="M535 323V373H52V323H535ZM535 138V188H52V138H535Z" id="g117-34"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,41.018,0)"><path d="M412 140C382 77 369 73 315 73H129L270 222C362 320 402 379 402 466C402 571 322 635 234 635C177 635 130 609 99 576L42 495L64 475C90 514 133 568 201 568C274 568 318 519 318 435C318 349 255 267 193 193C144 135 87 78 32 23V0H405C417 45 427 89 440 131L412 140Z" id="g113-51"></path></g></svg>,</span> with the bin length <svg height="8.55521pt" id="M243" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 65.2563 8.55521" width="65.2563pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M537 353L508 390C487 357 455 333 417 333C389 333 344 353 309 370C265 391 212 414 172 414C122 414 79 382 50 340L81 307C101 339 134 364 172 364C198 364 245 343 280 326C324 305 375 283 417 283C466 283 507 314 537 353ZM537 168L508 205C487 172 455 148 417 148C389 148 344 168 309 185C265 206 212 229 172 229C122 229 79 197 50 155L81 122C101 154 134 179 172 179C198 179 245 158 280 141C324 120 375 98 417 98C466 98 507 129 537 168Z" id="g117-132"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.263,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.503,0)"><path d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z" id="g113-47"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,20.467,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,26.707,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,32.947,0)"><path d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 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transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,52.135,0)"><path d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z" id="g113-47"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,55.099,0)"><path d="M515 96L502 119C471 88 431 62 423 62C416 62 411 70 417 101C440 223 469 341 497 448H486L412 422L380 277C330 188 210 57 152 57C137 57 126 69 139 124L195 366C210 431 205 448 182 448C155 448 89 413 23 350L36 326C73 354 103 376 112 376C118 376 118 365 113 340L61 118C54 90 52 68 52 51C52 0 75 -12 98 -12S151 -3 181 17C242 58 305 119 362 193H364L345 104C323 3 339 -12 359 -12C390 -12 464 35 515 96Z" id="g113-118"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,62.093,0)"><path d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z" id="g113-47"></path></g></svg> (<svg height="8.55521pt" id="M244" style="vertical-align:-0.2063904pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 33.1564 8.55521" width="33.1564pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M537 353L508 390C487 357 455 333 417 333C389 333 344 353 309 370C265 391 212 414 172 414C122 414 79 382 50 340L81 307C101 339 134 364 172 364C198 364 245 343 280 326C324 305 375 283 417 283C466 283 507 314 537 353ZM537 168L508 205C487 172 455 148 417 148C389 148 344 168 309 185C265 206 212 229 172 229C122 229 79 197 50 155L81 122C101 154 134 179 172 179C198 179 245 158 280 141C324 120 375 98 417 98C466 98 507 129 537 168Z" id="g117-132"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.263,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.503,0)"><path d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z" id="g113-47"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,20.467,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,26.707,0)"><path d="M153 550H386L412 615L406 623H120L82 318C104 327 142 338 184 338C294 338 347 275 347 187C347 112 305 39 221 39C160 39 119 71 97 89C88 97 80 96 71 90C59 80 50 67 49 57C48 45 52 36 66 23C80 9 123 -12 169 -12C221 -11 288 15 342 59C403 109 431 165 431 225C431 308 366 395 238 395C212 395 165 379 127 364L153 550Z" id="g113-54"></path></g></svg> attoseconds).<i> Top</i>: small tunneling times. The vertical grey line in the left of this plot corresponds to the time the light takes to travel the barrier distance. The second grey vertical line corresponds to the percentile <span class="nowrap"><svg height="8.85534pt" id="M245" style="vertical-align:-0.4673595pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.38798 16.2279 8.85534" width="16.2279pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.24,0)"><path d="M594 629L561 652L159 -9L190 -32L594 629ZM194 635C92 635 49 534 49 453C49 374 92 272 193 272C295 272 338 374 338 454S295 635 194 635ZM193 605C257 605 265 504 265 453C265 405 257 302 194 302C133 302 122 403 122 454S133 605 193 605ZM567 351C465 351 421 250 421 169C421 90 465 -12 566 -12S710 90 710 170S667 351 567 351ZM566 322C628 322 637 221 637 169C637 121 628 18 567 18S494 119 494 170C494 223 506 322 566 322Z" id="g121-35"></path></g></svg>.</span><i> Bottom:</i> large tunneling times. The vertical grey lines correspond to the percentiles <svg height="8.85534pt" id="M246" style="vertical-align:-0.4673595pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.38798 22.4913 8.85534" width="22.4913pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M244 635C114 635 38 519 38 422C38 317 111 240 217 240C236 240 255 244 277 256L345 292C311 140 203 39 59 15L64 -15C89 -15 150 -5 204 17C339 72 440 202 440 386C440 521 368 635 244 635ZM228 602C326 602 352 479 352 390C352 370 351 347 348 324C327 308 293 296 258 296C174 296 124 369 124 458C124 517 152 602 228 602Z" id="g113-58"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.241,0)"><path d="M153 550H386L412 615L406 623H120L82 318C104 327 142 338 184 338C294 338 347 275 347 187C347 112 305 39 221 39C160 39 119 71 97 89C88 97 80 96 71 90C59 80 50 67 49 57C48 45 52 36 66 23C80 9 123 -12 169 -12C221 -11 288 15 342 59C403 109 431 165 431 225C431 308 366 395 238 395C212 395 165 379 127 364L153 550Z" id="g113-54"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.527,0)"><path d="M594 629L561 652L159 -9L190 -32L594 629ZM194 635C92 635 49 534 49 453C49 374 92 272 193 272C295 272 338 374 338 454S295 635 194 635ZM193 605C257 605 265 504 265 453C265 405 257 302 194 302C133 302 122 403 122 454S133 605 193 605ZM567 351C465 351 421 250 421 169C421 90 465 -12 566 -12S710 90 710 170S667 351 567 351ZM566 322C628 322 637 221 637 169C637 121 628 18 567 18S494 119 494 170C494 223 506 322 566 322Z" id="g121-35"></path></g></svg> and <span class="nowrap"><svg height="8.85534pt" id="M247" style="vertical-align:-0.4673595pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.38798 22.4912 8.85534" width="22.4912pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M244 635C114 635 38 519 38 422C38 317 111 240 217 240C236 240 255 244 277 256L345 292C311 140 203 39 59 15L64 -15C89 -15 150 -5 204 17C339 72 440 202 440 386C440 521 368 635 244 635ZM228 602C326 602 352 479 352 390C352 370 351 347 348 324C327 308 293 296 258 296C174 296 124 369 124 458C124 517 152 602 228 602Z" id="g113-58"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.241,0)"><path d="M244 635C114 635 38 519 38 422C38 317 111 240 217 240C236 240 255 244 277 256L345 292C311 140 203 39 59 15L64 -15C89 -15 150 -5 204 17C339 72 440 202 440 386C440 521 368 635 244 635ZM228 602C326 602 352 479 352 390C352 370 351 347 348 324C327 308 293 296 258 296C174 296 124 369 124 458C124 517 152 602 228 602Z" id="g113-58"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.527,0)"><path d="M594 629L561 652L159 -9L190 -32L594 629ZM194 635C92 635 49 534 49 453C49 374 92 272 193 272C295 272 338 374 338 454S295 635 194 635ZM193 605C257 605 265 504 265 453C265 405 257 302 194 302C133 302 122 403 122 454S133 605 193 605ZM567 351C465 351 421 250 421 169C421 90 465 -12 566 -12S710 90 710 170S667 351 567 351ZM566 322C628 322 637 221 637 169C637 121 628 18 567 18S494 119 494 170C494 223 506 322 566 322Z" id="g121-35"></path></g></svg>,</span> respectively.</div>

Advances in High Energy Physics

A Probability Distribution for Quantum Tunneling Times

Figure 6