A New Time-Scale for Tunneling

Abstract

We study the tunneling through an oscillating delta barrier. Using time periodicity of the model, the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation is reduced to a simple but infinite matrix equation. Employing Toeplitz matrices methods, the infinite matrix is replaces by a $3\times 3$ matrix, allowing an analytical solution. Looking at the frequency dependence of the transmissionamplitudes, one observes a new time scale which dominates the tunneling dynamics. This time scale differs from the one previously introduced by B\"uttiker and Landauer. The relation between these two is discussed.