[Paper Review] The Superluminal Tunneling Story

Horst Aichmann, Günter Nimtz|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 10, 2013

Quantum optics and atomic interactions16 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents experimental and theoretical evidence for superluminal tunneling of microwaves, infrared light, and electrons, demonstrating near-zero tunneling times across various systems. It argues that tunneling time is a universal, barrier-independent quantity, challenging mainstream skepticism about faster-than-light signal propagation in quantum tunneling processes.

ABSTRACT

Since 1992 experimental evidence of superluminal (faster than light, FTL) signals are causing much excitement in the physical community and in the media. Superluminal signal velocity and zero time tunneling was first observed in an analog tunneling experiment with microwaves. Recently, the conjectured zero time of electron was claimed to be observed in ionizing helium. The FTL signal velocity was reproduced with infrared light and with various tunneling barriers in several laboratories worldwide. Remarkable, it was shown that the tunneling time is a universal quantity for elastic and for electromagnetic fields. Many theoretical physicists predicted this FTL nature of the tunneling process. However, even with this background many members of the physics community did not accept the superluminal signal velocity interpretation of the experimental results and they also ignored the universal tunneling time. The predicted and measured zero tunneling time was taken as a fantastic nonsense. A brief explanation of the misleading theoretical approaches against FTL signals due to the tunneling process is presented eventually.

Motivation & Objective

• To present experimental and theoretical evidence for superluminal signal propagation in quantum tunneling processes.
• To demonstrate the universality of tunneling time across different systems, including electromagnetic fields and elastic waves.
• To counter widespread skepticism and theoretical objections against faster-than-light tunneling in quantum mechanics.
• To clarify misconceptions in existing theoretical models that reject superluminal tunneling interpretations.
• To establish that zero-time tunneling is a reproducible and measurable phenomenon in multiple experimental setups.

Proposed method

• Conducting analog tunneling experiments with microwaves to measure signal transit times across potential barriers.
• Analyzing time-resolved measurements of tunneling signals to identify near-zero group delays.
• Extending observations to infrared light and electron tunneling in ionized helium atoms to verify consistency.
• Comparing experimental results with theoretical predictions of tunneling time universality.
• Identifying and critiquing flawed theoretical models that incorrectly rule out superluminal tunneling.
• Using data from multiple international laboratories to validate reproducibility and universality of the effect.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can superluminal signal velocities be experimentally observed in quantum tunneling processes?
• RQ2 Is tunneling time independent of the barrier type and material, indicating universality?
• RQ3 Why do many theoretical physicists reject the interpretation of superluminal tunneling despite experimental evidence?
• RQ4 What are the key flaws in theoretical models that claim superluminal tunneling violates causality?
• RQ5 Can zero-time tunneling be consistently measured across different physical systems such as microwaves, light, and electrons?

Key findings

• Superluminal signal velocities were experimentally observed in microwave tunneling experiments starting in 1992.
• Tunneling times were measured as near-zero across multiple systems, including microwaves, infrared light, and ionized helium electrons.
• The tunneling time was found to be universal—unchanging across different barrier types and physical systems.
• The phenomenon was reproduced in multiple laboratories worldwide, confirming reproducibility.
• Theoretical objections to superluminal tunneling were traced to flawed assumptions about causality and signal propagation.
• Zero-time tunneling was claimed to be observed in electron tunneling during ionization of helium atoms, supporting the universality of the effect.