How fast is a quantum jump?

•We propose a way to estimate the duration of a single atomic transition.•The action of the zero-point field of Compton's frequency on the electron is central.•Our theoretical result is expressed in terms of universal constants.•The estimated time is on the order of attoseconds, in line with re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics letters. A 2020-12, Vol.384 (34), p.126880, Article 126880
Main Authors: de la Peña, L., Cetto, A.M., Valdés-Hernández, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic transition
Jumping time
Stochastic electrodynamics
Zero-point field
Zitterbewegung
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Summary:•We propose a way to estimate the duration of a single atomic transition.•The action of the zero-point field of Compton's frequency on the electron is central.•Our theoretical result is expressed in terms of universal constants.•The estimated time is on the order of attoseconds, in line with recent experiments. A proposal is put forward for an estimate of the duration of a transition between atomic states. The proposal rests on the consideration that a resonance of the atomic electron with modes of the zero-point radiation field of Compton's frequency is at the core of the phenomenon. The theoretical result, given essentially by the expression (αωC)−1, where α is the fine structure constant and ωC the Compton angular frequency for the electron, lies well within the range of the recently experimentally estimated values of the order of attoseconds (10−18 s).
ISSN:0375-9601
1873-2429
DOI:10.1016/j.physleta.2020.126880