prompter: Explain quantum tunneling to me in detail provided I have some physics knowledge from university

assistant: Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where a particle can pass through a potential barrier, even if the particle's energy is less than the potential energy of the barrier. This is because, at the quantum level, particles have wave-like properties and can exhibit wave-like behavior, such as diffraction and interference.

To understand quantum tunneling, let's consider a simple example. Imagine a particle, such as an electron, is traveling towards a potential barrier, such as a wall. In classical mechanics, the particle would not be able to pass through the wall if its energy is less than the potential energy of the wall. However, in quantum mechanics, the particle can have a wave-like nature that allows it to "tunnel" through the wall.

The reason for this is that the wave function of the particle does not abruptly go to zero at the barrier, as classical mechanics would predict. Instead, the wave function of the particle has a small, non-zero value on the other side of the barrier. This means that there is a small probability that the particle will be found on the other side of the barrier, even if it does not have enough energy to overcome the potential energy of the barrier.

The probability of the particle tunneling through the barrier is related to the thickness and height of the barrier, as well as the energy of the particle. The lower the energy of the particle, the lower the probability of it tunneling through the barrier. However, even particles with very low energies can still tunnel through barriers, given a large enough number of attempts.

Quantum tunneling has many practical applications in physics and engineering. For example, it is used in the design of tunnel diodes, which are used in electronic circuits to generate high-frequency signals. It is also used in scanning tunneling microscopes, which are used to image surfaces at the atomic scale.

In summary, quantum tunneling is a fascinating phenomenon in quantum mechanics that allows particles to pass through potential barriers, even if they do not have enough energy to overcome the barrier. It is an important concept that has many practical applications in physics and engineering.

prompter: Explain the practical applications this could have in technology.

assistant: Current applications of quantum tunneling mainly include the tunnel diode, quantum computing, flash memory, and the scanning tunneling microscope.
-A tunnel diode or Esaki diode is a type of semiconductor diode that has "negative resistance" (an increase in voltage leads to a decrease in current) due to the tunneling effect. The "negative" part allows them to function as oscillators and amplifiers, and in switching circuits using hysteresis.
-Flash memory store the data as charges at the gate of floating-gate transistors. Tunneling makes it possible to charge and discharge flash memory at lower voltages, lowering power consumption and heat.
-A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) works based on the tunneling current between the sample surface and a tip very near to it, 
 caused by electrons tunneling through the vacuum separating them when a bias voltage is applied.

assistant: Quantum tunneling has many practical applications in technology. For example, it is used in the design of tunnel diodes, which are used in electronic circuits to generate high-frequency signals. It is also used in scanning tunneling microscopes, which allow scientists to image surfaces down to the atomic level. 

In addition, quantum tunneling is used in quantum computing, where it is used to store and manipulate data. It is also used in quantum cryptography, which is used to secure communications. Finally, quantum tunneling is used in quantum tunneling transistors, which are used in ultra-low power electronics.

assistant: In quantum mechanics, particles can behave like waves and exist in a state of superposition, meaning they can occupy more than one location simultaneously. Quantum tunneling occurs when a particle passes through a potential barrier that it wouldn't be able to overcome classically. This is possible because the particle's wave-like behavior means that it has a non-zero probability of being on the other side of the barrier, even if it doesn't have enough energy to cross it by normal means.

The probability of tunneling depends on the energy of the particle, as well as the height and width of the potential barrier. If the barrier is thin and the particle has a high enough energy, the probability of tunneling can be significant.

Quantum tunneling has important applications in many areas of physics, including nuclear fusion and solid-state electronics. It also plays a role in phenomena like alpha decay, where heavy nuclei emit alpha particles that are able to tunnel through the strong nuclear force holding them in place.

prompter: How is this implemented inside computers. Like Googles quantum computers. What did they use to achieve the quantum state. Explain it to me in detail because I am very new to quantum computing, and it seems very interesting!

assistant: A particle, such as an electron or an atom, can pass through a potential barrier that it would not be able to do so traditionally thanks to the quantum mechanical phenomena known as quantum tunneling. Or to put it another way, it is a phenomena where a particle may pass through a wall that its energy would normally prevent it from doing.

The wave-like characteristics of particles are connected to the quantum tunneling process. Particles can exist in a wave-like condition in which their location and momentum are variable, according to quantum mechanics. This implies that the particle can spread out and explore a wide range of potential states rather of being constrained to the classical energy of the barrier. The particle can cross the barrier and emerge on the other side if its wave-like condition spreads widely enough.

The height and breadth of the barrier affect the likelihood of a particle tunneling. The likelihood that a particle will tunnel through a barrier decreases with its height and width. The particle's energy also has a significant impact on the tunneling effect. The likelihood that a particle will be able to tunnel through a barrier increases with particle energy.

In conclusion, quantum tunneling is a property of quantum mechanics that allows a particle to pass through a potential barrier that it would not be able to do otherwise. The barrier's height, breadth, and energy of the particle all affect how often this phenomena is to take place.

prompter: How often does quantum tunnelling happen in ordinary room temperature matter?