Virtual photons in macroscopic tunneling

Abstract

Tunnelling processes are thought to proceed via virtual waves due to observed superluminal (faster than light) signal speeds. Some assume such speeds must violate causality. These assumptions contradict, for instance, superluminally tunnelled music and optical tunnelling couplers applied in fiber communication. Recently tunnelling barriers were conjectured to be cavities, wherein the tunnelled output signal is not causally related with the input. The tests described here resolve that tunnelling waves are virtual, propagations are superluminal, and causality is preserved.