Unified analytical description of the time evolution of decay for initial states formed by wave-packet scattering and by initial decaying states in quantum systems
- Instituto de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado postal 48-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62251 (Mexico)
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 20 364, 01000 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Apartado Postal 1880, 22800 Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico)
We consider a unified analytical approach for scattering and decay processes in one-dimensional resonant tunneling systems using the formalism of resonant states to address the issue of the differences and similarities in the time evolution of decay between the decay of an arbitrary state prepared initially within a system and the formation and subsequent decay of a quasistationary state in the scattering of a Gaussian wavepacket on that system. We find three distinctive regimes. A first regime, which refers only to the quasistationary state, that is characterized by a buildup time of the probability density at a given position within the internal region of the potential. Here we find that the buildup time has a dependence on position. A second regime, dominated by the exponentially decaying terms, where the decay of the quasistationary state proceeds in an almost identical fashion as for the initially prepared decaying state. And finally, a third regime that involves the transition to nonexponential decay at long times and its ulterior behavior as an inverse power of time. Here we find that the time scale of the transition occurs at different times, which implies a dependence on the parameters of the initial state.
- OSTI ID:
- 22080334
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 84, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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