Distribution of voltage fluctuations in a current-biased conductor

2002/10/28 by M. Kindermann, Yu. V. Nazarov, C. W. J. Beenakker
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.mes-hall

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.90.246805

published as Phys.Rev.Lett. 90, 246805 (2003) · 4 pages including 2 figures

arxiv created 2002/10/28 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30

Abstract

We calculate the fluctuating voltage V(t) over a conductor driven out of equilibrium by a current source. This is the dual of the shot noise problem of current fluctuations I(t) in a voltage-biased circuit. In the single-channel case the distribution of the accumulated phase Phi=(e/hbar)∫ Vdt is the Pascal (or binomial waiting-time) distribution -- distinct from the binomial distribution of transferred charge Q=∫ Idt. The weak-coupling limit of a Poissonian P(Phi) is reached in the limit of a ballistic conductor, while in the tunneling limit P(Phi) has the chi-square form.

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