- the phenomenon in which an object, usually an elementary particle, tunnels through a potential barrier even though it does not have sufficient energy to surmount the barrier. It is explained by wave mechanics and is the cause of alpha decay, field emission, and certain conduction processes in semiconductors
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
tun′nel effect′,
- Physicsa quantum-mechanical process by which a particle can pass through a potential energy barrier that is higher than the energy of the particle: first postulated to explain the escape of alpha particles from atomic nuclei. Also called tun′nel•ing.
- 1930–35
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tunnel effect n
'tunnel effect' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):