Comment on "Macroscopic violation of special relativity" by Nimtz and Stahlhofen [arXiv:0708.0681v1]

Herbert G. Winful

Published 2007-09-18Version 1

A recent paper by G. Nimtz and A. A. Stahlhofen [arXiv:0708.0681v1] makes the following claims: (1) that the authors have observed a macroscopic violation of special relativity, (2) that they have demonstrated quantum mechanical behavior of evanescent modes on a meter-length scale, and (3) that barriers are crossed in zero time, implying superluminal (faster than light), and indeed, infinite tunneling velocity. Here I suggest that all these claims are erroneous and are based on a misinterpretation of a purely classical measurement accurately described by Maxwell's equations.