Electron Escape from a Quantum Well

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe quantum mechanical escape rate is calculated for an electron in a one-dimensional potential well. First-order time-dependent perturbation theory is used for the bound-to-bound and the bound-to-free transitions. The bound-to-free transition probability decays exponentially with bound energy. The fraction of one-electron systems in a bound state decays exponentially with time. The characteristic time constant grows exponentially with an increasein the depth of the potential well.