Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
Published on: August 2, 2019
Particle-wave duality in quantum tunneling of a bright soliton
Ching-Hao Wang1, Tzay-Ming Hong, Ray-Kuang Lee
1Department of Physics, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Abstract:
One of the most fundamental difference between classical and quantum mechanics is observed in the particle tunneling through a localized potential: the former predicts a discontinuous transmission coefficient (T) as a function in incident velocity between one (complete penetration) and zero (complete reflection); while in the latter T always changes smoothly with a wave nature. Here we report a systematic study of the quantum tunneling property for a bright soliton, which behaves as a classical particle (wave) in the limit of small (large) incident velocity. In the intermediate regime, the classical and quantum properties are combined via a finite (but not full) discontinuity in the tunneling transmission coefficient. We demonstrate that the formation of a localized bound state is essential to describe such inelastic collisions, showing a nontrivial nonlinear effect on the quantum transportation of a bright soliton.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
Interference and Diffraction
Standing Waves in a Cavity
The Uncertainty Principle
The Wave Nature of Light
Propagation of Waves
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...

