Inelastic Tunneling
Most recent answer: 10/22/2007
Q:
What is inelastic electron tunneling? How does it differ to "normal" elastic tunneling?
- Amanda (age 21)
University of York
- Amanda (age 21)
University of York
A:
Inelastic tunneling describes tunneling between two states with different energies. In order for energy to be conserved, something else has pick up some energy from or deposit it with the electron. The typical energy source/sink is the crystal lattice of the material, whose vibrations are called sound or, in quantum language, phonons. Often, an inelastic scattering process will emit a phonon.
Mike W.
Mike W.
(published on 10/22/2007)