Current can tunnel between the source/drain electrodes and the quantum dot (or dots) by tunneling through the insulating layer.

Said component comprises at least two tunneling electrodes (1a, 1b) on a substrate that are separated by a gap through which electrons can tunnel.

During the handoff a tunnel may be created from the original access network to the new access network in order to tunnel data packets that would otherwise have been lost prior to the completion of the handoff.

If this vacuum barrier is approximately a few atomic diameters thick, electrons are able to tunnel through it, and a current will flow.