Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
LCP
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"
Image for the paper "Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function"

Tunnelling interpreted

Quantum computing

Quantum tunnelling only occurs if either the Wigner function is negative, or the tunnelling rate operator has a negative Wigner function.

Tunnelling necessitates negative Wigner function

We consider in what sense quantum tunnelling is associated with non-classical probabilistic behaviour. We use the Wigner function quasi-probability description of quantum states. We give a definition of tunnelling that allows us to say whether in a given scenario there is tunnelling or not. We prove that this can only happen if either the Wigner function is negative and/or a certain measurement operator which we call the tunnelling rate operator has a negative Wigner function.