Consistent analytical solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for nanoscale circuits with laser-assisted quantum tunneling

Abstract

It is now common practice to solve the Schr\"odinger equation to estimate the tunneling current between two metal electrodes at specified potentials, or the transmission through a potential barrier by assuming an incident, reflected, and transmitted wave. However, we suggest that these methods may not be appropriate for nanoscale circuits. The electron man-free path may be as long as 68.2 nm in metallic elements so we consider the possibility that quantum effects may occur throughout a nanoscale circuit, including the connections. Analytical methods are presented for modeling the coherent transfer of the wavefunction through a closed circuit.