Dynamical system analysis of quantum tunneling in an asymmetric double-well potential

Abstract

We study quantum tunneling in an asymmetric double-well potential using a dynamical systems-based approach rooted in the Ehrenfest formalism. In this framework, the time evolution of a Gaussian wave packet is governed by a hierarchy of coupled equations linking lower- and higher-order position moments. An approximate closure, required to render the system tractable, yields a reduced dynamical system for the mean and variance, with skewness entering explicitly due to the potential's asymmetry. Stability analysis of this system identifies energy thresholds for detectable tunneling across the barrier and reveals regimes where tunneling, though theoretically allowed, remains practically undetectable. Comparison with full numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation shows that, beyond reproducing key tunneling features, the dynamical systems approach provides an interpretable description of quantum transport through tunneling in an effective asymmetric two-level system.