Instanton versus traditional WKB approach to the Landau-Zener problem

Abstract

Different theoretical approaches to the famous two state Landau - Zener problem are briefly discussed. Apart from traditional methods of the adiabatic perturbation theory, Born - Oppenheimer approximation with geometric phase effects, two-level approach, and momentum space representation, the problem is treated semiclassically also in the coordinate space. Within the framework of the instanton approach we present a full and unified description of 1D Landau-Zener problem of level crossing. The method enables us to treat accurately all four transition points (appearing at two levels crossing), while the standard WKB approach takes into account only two of them. The latter approximation is adequate for calculating of the transition probability or for studying of scattering processes, however it does not work for finding corresponding chemical reactions rates, where very often for typical range of parameters all four transition points can be relevant. Applications of the method and of the results may concern the various systems in physics, chemistry and biology.