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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Dynamical tunneling in macroscopic systems
1Department Physik, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics, and Center for Nanoscience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstrasse 37, 80333 München, Germany.
Abstract:
We investigate macroscopic dynamical quantum tunneling (MDQT) in the driven Duffing oscillator, characteristic for Josephson junction physics and nanomechanics. Under resonant conditions between stable coexisting states of such systems we calculate the tunneling rate. In macroscopic systems coupled to a heat bath, MDQT can be masked by driving-induced activation. We compare both processes, identify conditions under which tunneling can be detected with present day experimental means and suggest a protocol for its observation.
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