Quantum tunneling is a phenomenon in which a quantum particle, such as an electron, can pass through a potential barrier even when it does not have enough energy to overcome the barrier classically. It is not directly related to the collapse of a wave function into a particle.
Regarding your question about the distance limit for quantum tunneling, there is no specific distance limit imposed by the phenomenon itself. However, the probability of tunneling decreases rapidly with increasing barrier width and increasing particle mass. This means that the probability of tunneling decreases as the distance increases.
For large waves like radio waves and microwaves, which are macroscopic phenomena, the concept of quantum tunneling does not directly apply. Quantum tunneling is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that primarily occurs at the atomic and subatomic scales.
In the case of electromagnetic waves, such as radio and microwaves, they are described by classical electrodynamics rather than quantum mechanics. They propagate through space as oscillating electric and magnetic fields, without the need for particles to "materialize" over long distances.
So, while quantum tunneling is a fascinating quantum phenomenon, it is not directly applicable to the behavior of macroscopic waves like radio and microwaves.