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← ScienceWhich mechanism causes current flow between two closely spaced conductors separated by insulating layer in quantum tunnelling?
A)Electron wave function penetration✓
B)Capacitive discharge across the gap
C)Thermionic emission over the barrier
D)Dielectric breakdown of the insulator
💡 Explanation
When two conductors are very close, quantum tunnelling occurs because an electron's wave function penetrates the insulating barrier with finite probability allowing electron flow even without sufficient energy to overcome the barrier classically. Therefore, current flow results from wave function penetration, rather than capacitive discharge, thermionic emission, or dielectric breakdown which need different conditions.
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