Quantum+Tunneling+2+(Pat,+Adam,+Alek)

  

Alek Kirchmann Adam Rosman Pat Lee toc

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Overview=

The theory of Quantum Tunneling is a fascinating concept with intriguing potential implications. The basic idea is when a particle hits a small enough energy barrier the particle can continue moving through the plain on which it is heading. A more basic example: when you throw a ball against a wall, chances are you don't have enough energy to get the ball to penetrate through the wall, so you expect it to bounce back to yourself. However, in Quantum Mechanics, the ball would have a small probability of going right through the wall, with no damage to the wall, and continuing to fly on the other side of the structure. On the flip side of this concept, when a particle drops energy, it has a small chance of being reflected. So, for example, if a ball was rolling off the side of a table, it has a small chance of being reflected and bouncing right back 1 ]. However, these are just supersized examples of the effect. The actual chances of getting a ball through a wall or having it bounce back is so close to impossible you could do it forever in a quantum system and it could never happen.

=History of Quantum Tunneling=

The study of Quantum Mechanics is a fairly new science, discovered in the 1930s. Many developments in the field have come since then. One of the most significant was quantum tunneling which was brought into the mainstream science field in 1964 by Leonid Keldysh when he predicted that the actual effect of tunneling could happen 4 ]3 ]. It is an action that occurs in every quantum system and helped develop the universe as we know it today. Since then, research of quantum tunneling has earned five Nobel prizes in physics 2 ]. Quantum tunneling is one of the cornerstones of the entire structure of Quantum Mechanics, describing the movement of particles in a wave like fashion and their ability to "tunnel" through walls of energy. It gives an explanation for how particles in any quantum system travel through space and energy levels without a hitch and it can also allow scientists to predict the locations of particles in a quantum system, such as electrons in a beam of light.

=Modern Applications of Quantum Tunneling=

Harnessing the power of quantum tunneling could have major effects on technology. The field of quantum computers depends on the production of nanowires, which help scientists to grasp how quantum tunneling is controlled. This in turn can be applied to using tunneling electrons to power quantum computer chips on a quantum computer 3 ]. Quantum computers would be much faster than today's computers, and would need a very low supply of electricty to run. Quantum tunneling can also be used to combine pieces of a computer chip and wire them together without direct contact, thus making it easier to fix and replace components 6 ]. With the development of quantum computer chips, high resolution detection devices could be built that could see well beyond the range of human eyesight 6 ]. A device like this could see through all sorts of weather conditions and clothing to reveal weapons or explosives, thereby helping to preserve the safety of civilians at airports.

=More Examples of Quantum Tunneling:= media type="youtube" key="Qdp6rPmuf54" height="340" width="560" = =

=Sources= Works Cited Hellemans, Alexander. "Escape from the Nucleus: Ionization via Quantum Tunneling Observed." // Scientific American //. 4 Apr. 2007. Web. 1 Jan. 2010. . Merzbacher, Eugen. "The Early History of Quantum Mechanics." // Physics Today // Aug. 2002. // Physics Today //. Web. 1 Jan. 2010. . Ohio State University. "Quantum Computer Chips Now One Step Closer To Reality." ScienceDaily 17 October 2009. 5 January 2010 . "Quantum tunnelling." // Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology //. Web. 05 Jan. 2010. . Stedl, Todd. "Todd's Quantum Intro." // Intro to Quantum Mechanics //. July 2005. Web. 05 Jan. 2010. . University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Evidence Of Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling Detected In Nanowires." ScienceDaily 9 June 2009. 5 January 2010 .