Tunnelling time and tunnelling dynamics

Abstract

The concept of ‘tunnelling time’ in the context of quantum particle tunnelling is reviewed. Various suggestions of linking the tunnelling dynamics with a characteristic time (real or complex) like the phase time, barrier interaction time (bounce time), presence time, etc. are analysed. A simple but fully quantal method of defining and estimating a real tunnelling time is examined in a variety of situations. The recently proposed idea of interpreting ‘tunnelling time’ as the cavity lifetime of a particle is also explored. We emphasize that proton or H-atom transfer reactions in double or triple wells offer systems in which the signature of the tunnelling time should be recognizable not just indirectly through the tunnelling splitting of spectral lines, but by following the relaxation dynamics of the subsystem that the proton or H atom leaves by tunnelling.