Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading about quantum tunneling and how particles can pass through energy barriers, which seems to challenge classical physics. I understand it’s already applied in technologies like tunnel diodes and flash memory, but I’m wondering, is there any serious research into scaling tunneling effects for use in energy transfer or generation? Could this concept theoretically be used in next-gen electronics or even fusion tech, or are we fundamentally limited by the probabilities involved?

I'd love to hear your thoughts or if anyone knows of experiments or prototypes exploring this direction.

Some resources I checked out:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTx9kG6-5E4

• https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/2022/09/introduction-to-quantum-tunneling.html

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/quantum-tunneling

• https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-quantum-tunneling-probabilities-shape-our-universe-20220321/

Thanks!

7 minutes ago, Aria James said:

Hey everyone,

I’ve been reading about quantum tunneling and how particles can pass through energy barriers, which seems to challenge classical physics. I understand it’s already applied in technologies like tunnel diodes and flash memory, but I’m wondering, is there any serious research into scaling tunneling effects for use in energy transfer or generation? Could this concept theoretically be used in next-gen electronics or even fusion tech, or are we fundamentally limited by the probabilities involved?

I'd love to hear your thoughts or if anyone knows of experiments or prototypes exploring this direction.

Some resources I checked out:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTx9kG6-5E4

• https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/2022/09/introduction-to-quantum-tunneling.html

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/quantum-tunneling

• https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-quantum-tunneling-probabilities-shape-our-universe-20220321/

Thanks!

I’m not sure what you have in mind by way of an energy application for this. But tunnelling is involved in the mechanism of nuclear fusion, as penetrating the barrier presented by electrostatic repulsion is required for nuclei to fuse.

I'm not sure of the resources you've used thus far, nor of any understanding of quantum tunneling you might have gained.

Like a lot of other 'quantum' effects which are scale dependent, tunneling doesn't lend itself to macroscopic applications.
You don't ever see a ball going through a wall rather than bouncing off, but the effect has been recognized, and studied, for almost a century in various systems.

For a better understanding of the effect, and its history/significance in nuclear experiments/applications, check out this video