Abstract. We show that the group delay in tunnelling is not a traversal time but a lifetime of stored energy or stored probability escaping through both ends of the barrier. Because it is a lifetime associated with both forward (transmitted) and backward (reflected) fluxes, it cannot be used to define a group velocity for forward transit in cases where a wavepacket is mostly reflected. For photonic tunnelling barriers the group delay is identical to the dwell time which is also a property of an entire wavefunction with reflected and transmitted components. Theoretical predictions and experimental reports of superluminal group velocities in barrier tunnelling are re-interpreted.

Received 21 January 2006
Published 13 June 2006