The theory of quantum-mechanical dislocation tunnelling through Peierls-Nabarro barriers was extended and was compared with experimental data on low-temperature plasticity. The behavior of the flow stress in the range of athermal anomalies was modelled by assuming a change, in the mechanism of dislocation motion, from thermo-activated hopping over barriers to quantum-tunnelling through them.

Dislocation Tunnelling in the Peierls-Nabarro Potential Relief. B.V.Petukhov: Materials Science and Engineering A, 2001, 319-321, 130-2