Tunneling: From Milliseconds to Attoaseconds

TL;DR

This paper reviews the measurement and universality of tunneling times across various systems, from microwaves to atomic ionization, highlighting the progress from milliseconds to attoseconds.

Contribution

It presents recent experimental measurements of tunneling times in different systems, demonstrating their universal behavior over a broad time scale.

Findings

Tunneling time is a universal property across different physical systems.

Recent measurements have achieved attosecond resolution.

Tunneling times span twelve orders of magnitude, from milliseconds to attoseconds.

Abstract

How much time does a wave packet spent in tunneling a barrier? Quantum mechanical calculations result in zero time inside a barrier. In the nineties analogous tunneling experiments with microwaves were carried out confirming quantum mechanics. Electron tunneling time is hard to measure being extremely short. However, quite recently the atomic ionization tunneling time has been measured. Experimental data of photonic, phononic, and electronic tunneling time is available now. It appears that the tunneling time is a universal property in the investigated time range of twelve orders of magnitude.