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We study particle interaction with a Dirac step potential. In the standard Klein energy zone, the hypothesis of Klein pair production predicts the existence of free/oscillatory antiparticles. In this paper, we discuss the tunneling energy zone characterized by evanescent wave functions in the classically forbidden region. We ask the question of the nature, particle or antiparticle, of the densities within the classically forbidden region. The answer to this question is relevant to the correct form of the reflection coefficient., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures

We study planar Dirac scattering for an electrostatic stratified barrier potential. The general expressions for transmitted and reflected waves are derived. Of particular interest is the information upon relative helicity phases. We also briefly discuss some possible applications., Comment: 5 pages

We propose an experiment involving a gaussian laser tunneling through a twin barrier dielectric structure. Of particular interest are the conditions upon the incident angle for resonance to occur. We provide some numerical calculations for a particular choice of laser wave length and dielectric refractive index which confirm our expectations., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures

Graphene is characterized by chiral electronic excitations. As such it provides a perfect testing ground for the production of Klein pairs (electron/holes). If confirmed, the standard results for barrier phenomena must be reconsidered with, as a byproduct, the accumulation within the barrier of holes., Comment: 8 pages

The particle approach to one-dimensional potential scattering is applied to non relativistic tunnelling between two, three and four identical barriers. We demonstrate as expected that the infinite sum of particle contributions yield the plane wave results. In particular, the existence of resonance/transparency for twin tunnelling in the wave limit is immediately obvious. The known resonances for three and four barriers are also derived. The transition from the wave limit to the particle limit is exhibit numerically., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures

Some optical experiments provide the easiest way to test quantum mechanical predictions. Such a situation applies to a laser beam traversing a dielectric structure. The dielectric structure mir- roring quantum mechanical potentials. The simplest of these, studied in this paper, involves a single dielectric block. We exhibit both by analytic and numerical calculations explicit examples of total coherence and total incoherence phenomena. Which case appears depends upon the angle of incidence of the laser beam and/or the dimensions of beam vs block width. Unlike our previ- ous studies our calculations here are three-dimensional, although, with suitable approximations, somewhat simpler planar expressions can be derived., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures

We present the results of the planar diffusion of a Dirac particle by step and barrier potentials, when the incoming wave impinges at an arbitrary angle with the potential. Except for right-angle incidence this process is characterized by the appearance of spin flip terms. For the step potential, spin flip occurs for both transmitted and reflected waves. However, we find no spin flip in the transmitted barrier result. This is surprising because the barrier result may be derived directly from a two-step calculation. We demonstrate that the spin flip cancellation indeed occurs for each particle (wave packet) contribution., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures

Recalling the similarities between the Maxwell equations for a transverse electric wave in a stratified medium and the quantum mechanical Schroedinger equation in a piece-wise potential, we investigate the analog of the so called particle limit in quantum mechanics. It is shown that in this limit the resonance phenomena are lost since individual reflection and transmission terms no longer overlap. The result is a stationary zebra-like response with the intensity in each stripe calculable., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures

The condition for the existence of a bound state between two fermions exchanging massive scalars is derived. For low scalar mass, we reproduce the scalar field model result. The high scalar mass result exhibits a somewhat different inequality condition.

Ladder diagrams are relevant for the study of bound states. The condition upon the coupling strength for the existence of a bound state has been deduced in a scalar field theory for the case of low mass exchanges. We apply this approach to the case of very high mass exchanges., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures

We investigate the tunnelling zone V0 < E < V0+m for a one-dimensional potential within the Dirac equation. We find the appearance of superluminal transit times akin to the Hartman effect., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures

We study the solutions for a one-dimensional electrostatic potential in the Dirac equation when the incoming wave packet exhibits the Klein paradox (pair production). With a barrier potential we demonstrate the existence of multiple reflections (and transmissions). The antiparticle solutions which are necessarily localized within the barrier region create new pairs with each reflection at the potential walls. Consequently we encounter a new paradox for the barrier because successive outgoing wave amplitudes grow geometrically., Comment: 10 pages

We extend an above barrier analysis made with the Schrodinger equation to the Dirac equation. We demonstrate the perfect agreement between the barrier results and back to back steps. This implies the existence of multiple (indeed infinite) reflected and transmitted wave packets. These packets may be well separated in space or partially overlap. In the latter case interference effects can occur. For the extreme case of total overlap we encounter resonances. The conditions under which resonance phenomena can be observed is discussed and illustrated by numerical calculations., Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure

Recent studies of the tunnelling through two opaque barriers claim that the transit time is independent of the barrier widths and of the separation distance between the barriers. We observe, in contrast, that if multiple reflections are allowed for correctly (infinite peaks) the transit time between the barriers appears exactly as expected., Comment: 4

The standard formula for mass oscillations is often based upon the approximation $t \approx L$ and the hypotheses that neutrinos have been produced with a definite momentum $p$ or, alternatively, with definite energy $E$. This represents an inconsistent scenario and gives an unjustified reduction by a factor of two in the mass oscillation formulas. Such an ambiguity has been a matter of speculations and mistakes in discussing flavour oscillations. We present a series of results and show how the problem of the factor two in the oscillation length is not a consequence of gedanken experiments, i.e. oscillations in time. The common velocity scenario yields the maximum simplicity., Comment: 9 pages, AMS-TeX

The notion of analyticity is studied in the context of hypercomplex numbers. A critical review of the problems arising from the conventional approach is given. We describe a local analyticity condition which yields the desired type of hypercomplex solutions. The result is the definition of a generalized complex analyticity to hypercomplex space. 02.10.Tq/Vr, 02.30.-f/Dk, 02.90.+p, Comment: 11 pages, RevTex

We explicitly develop a quaternionic version of the electroweak theory, based on the local gauge group $U(1, q)_{L}\mid U(1, c)_{Y}$. The need of a complex projection for our Lagrangian and the physical significance of the anomalous scalar solutions are also discussed., Comment: 12 pages, Revtex, submitted to J. Phys. G

We complete the rules of translation between standard complex quantum mechanics (CQM) and quaternionic quantum mechanics (QQM) with a complex geometry. In particular we describe how to reduce ($2n$+$1$)-dimensional complex matrices to {\em overlapping\/} ($n$+$1$)-dimensional quaternionic matrices with generalized quaternionic elements. This step resolves an outstanding difficulty with reduction of purely complex matrix groups within quaternionic QM and avoids {\em anomalous} eigenstates. As a result we present a more complete translation from CQM to QQM and viceversa., Comment: 7 pages, Revtex

We discuss the use of the variational principle within quaternionic quantum mechanics. This is non-trivial because of the non commutative nature of quaternions. We derive the Dirac Lagrangian density corresponding to the two-component Dirac equation. This Lagrangian is complex projected as anticipated in previous articles and this feature is necessary even for a classical real Lagrangian., Comment: LaTex (9 pages)

We show that, in quaternion quantum mechanics with a complex geometry, the minimal four Higgs of the unbroken electroweak theory naturally determine the quaternion invariance group which corresponds to the Glashow group. Consequently, we are able to identify the physical significance of the anomalous Higgs scalar solutions. We introduce and discuss the complex projection of the Lagrangian density., Comment: 14 pages, LaTex, nofigures, to appear in Int.J.of Mod.Phys.A