---
abstract: 'We present a class of 2D systems which shows a counterintuitive property that contradicts a semi classical intuition: A 2D quantum particle “prefers” tunneling through a barrier rather than traveling above it. Viewing the one particle 2D system as the system of two 1D particles, it is demonstrated that this effect occurs due to a specific symmetry of the barrier that forces excitations of the interparticle degree of freedom that, in turn, leads to the appearance of an effective potential barrier even though there is no “real” barrier. This phenomenon cannot exist in 1D.'
author:
- 'Denys I. Bondar'
- 'Wing-Ki Liu'
- 'Misha Yu. Ivanov'
bibliography:
- '2D\_Tunnelling.bib'
title: Enhancement and suppression of tunneling by controlling symmetries of a potential barrier
---

Introduction
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Quantum tunneling has been one of the most important problems in quantum mechanics since its foundation. The simplest problems of tunneling are one-dimensional, which is where our intuition on tunneling comes from. The extension of 1D tunneling to many dimensions is not straightforward. There are many peculiarities that appear in many dimensional cases that do not exist in 1D (for systematic studies of such differences see, e.g., Refs. [@Chabanov1999; @Chabanov2000; @Zakhariev2008]). Quite often 