Quantum mechanical tunnelling in biological systems

Abstract

‘Tunnelling’ is the metaphorical name given to the process, possible in quantum mechanics, but not in classical mechanics, whereby a particle can disappear from one side of a potential-energy barrier and appear on the other side without having enough kinetic energy to mount the barrier. One can think of this as a manifestation of the wave-nature of particles. The wavelength is larger if a particle is lighter. In particular electrons, being very light compared to atoms, have wavelengths as large or larger than atoms at energies found in the valence shells of molecules. Thus, they easily ooze through and around atoms and molecules. We are also concerned with the tunnelling of heavy particles: nuclei, atoms, molecules.