quantum tunnel

English

quantum tunnel (third-person singular simple present quantum tunnels, present participle quantum tunneling or quantum tunnelling, simple past and past participle quantum tunneled or quantum tunnelled)

(quantum mechanics, transitive, intransitive, uncommon) To undergo the process of quantum tunnelling.
- 2016, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, Welcome to the Universe, An Astrophysical Tour, page 385:
  So the alpha particle quantum tunnels through the mountain and "the alpha particle is out."
(idiomatic, transitive, intransitive, uncommon) To move or travel from one point or direction to another in a very quick, rapid, or effortless manner.
- 2005, Rudy Rucker, Frek and the Elixir:
  The roll of fat jiggled as if to invite the other pieces, and, one by one, the other pieces quantum-tunneled through the tram's wall.
- 2015, Lesley L. Smith, The Quantum Cop:
  "Not very hospitable of them," he said, reaching for my hand. We quantum tunneled through the glass door. Inside, we froze.
- 2017, Jonathan Ichikawa (editor), The Routledge Handbook of Epistemic Contextualism, page 417:
  If you had dropped your mug and it had quantum tunneled to China, it would not have fallen to the floor.
- 2021, Jetse de Vries, Forever Curious, page 103:
  If it can quantum tunnel in here, she thinks, why not quantum tunnel straight into the very core, and extract whatever price is, or is not, hiding in there?