Term: electron tunneling
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08806

Definition:
Quantum mechanical effect of passing an electron through a potential energy barrier separating two energy equivalent regions.

Note: The electron tunneling effect is exploited, e.g., in scanning tunneling microscopes, pressure sensors based on quantum tunneling polymer composites and in touchable panels of electronic devices.

Link: 
Related Term: quantum tunneling polymer composites (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08862).

Source: PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 28 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)

Citation: 'electron tunneling' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08806

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

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