Quantum backflow and scattering

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantum backflow and scattering

AU - Bostelmann, Henning

AU - Cadamuro, Daniela

AU - Lechner, Gandalf

N1 - ©2017 American Physical Society.

PY - 2017/7/13

Y1 - 2017/7/13

N2 - Backflow is the phenomenon that the probability current of a quantum particle on the line can flow in the direction opposite to its momentum. In this article, previous investigations of backflow, pertaining to interaction-free dynamics or purely kinematical aspects, are extended to scattering situations in short-range potentials. It is shown that backflow is a universal quantum effect which exists in any such potential, and is always of bounded spatial extent in a specific sense. The effects of reflection and transmission processes on backflow are investigated, both analytically for general potentials, and numerically in various concrete examples.

AB - Backflow is the phenomenon that the probability current of a quantum particle on the line can flow in the direction opposite to its momentum. In this article, previous investigations of backflow, pertaining to interaction-free dynamics or purely kinematical aspects, are extended to scattering situations in short-range potentials. It is shown that backflow is a universal quantum effect which exists in any such potential, and is always of bounded spatial extent in a specific sense. The effects of reflection and transmission processes on backflow are investigated, both analytically for general potentials, and numerically in various concrete examples.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.96.012112

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.96.012112

M3 - Article

SN - 2469-9934

VL - 96

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Physical Review A

JF - Physical Review A

IS - 1

M1 - 012112

ER -