Complex classical paths in quantum reflections and tunneling
The real-time propagator of the symmetric Rosen-Morse, also known as the symmetric modified Pöschl-Teller, barrier is expressed in the Picard-Lefschetz path integral formalism using real and complex classical paths. We explain how the interference pattern in the real-time propagator and energy propagator is organized by caustics and Stokes phenomena and list the relevant real and complex classical paths as a function of the initial and final position. We discover the occurrence of singularity crossings, where the analytic continuation of the complex classical path no longer satisfies the boundary value problem and needs to be analytically continued. Moreover, we demonstrate how these singularity crossings play a central role in the real-time description of quantum tunneling.
Authors
- Ue‐Li Pen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2155-9578)
- Dylan L. Jow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3236-8769)
- Job Feldbrugge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2414-8707)
Institutions
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CA)
- Perimeter Institute (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CA)
- Academia Sinica (TW)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
- Published
- 2025-04-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.111.085027
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.25
Funders
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
- Ontario Research Foundation
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Science and Technology Facilities Council