Exact relativistic time evolution for a step potential barrier

DOI10.1088/0305-4470/33/34/311MaRDI QIDQ4520674zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors J. Villavicencio

Publication date 13 December 2000

Published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0008084

zbMATH Keywords

cutoff plane wave initial conditionsKlein-Gordon equationnon-causal timeSommerfeld-type precursor

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Closed and approximate solutions to the Schrödinger, Dirac, Klein-Gordon and other equations of quantum mechanics (81Q05)

Abstract: We derive an exact analytic solution to a Klein-Gordon equation for a step potential barrier with cutoff plane wave initial conditions, in order to explore wave evolution in a classical forbidden region. We find that the relativistic solution rapidly evanesces within a depth $2x_p$ inside the potential, where $x_p$ is the penetration length of the stationary solution. Beyond the characteristic distance $2x_p$, a Sommerfeld-type precursor travels along the potential at the speed of light, $c$. However, no spatial propagation of a main wavefront along the structure is observed. We also find a non-causal time evolution of the wavefront peak. The effect is only an apparent violation of Einstein causality.

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Cited in

(1)

• Causal wave propagation for relativistic massive particles: physical asymptotics in action

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