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Crossover between classical and quantum shot noise in chaotic cavities.
S Oberholzer1, E V Sukhorukov, C Schönenberger
1Institut für Physik, Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. Christian.Schoenberger@unibas.ch
Nature
|February 15, 2002
Summary
Researchers experimentally verified that shot noise in mesoscopic conductors disappears when electron motion becomes classically chaotic. This occurs in chaotic cavities when electron dwell times are short, transitioning from quantum scattering to deterministic motion.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum transport
Background:
- Schottky noise, arising from charge discreteness, was predicted in 1918.
- Shot noise in mesoscopic conductors, involving quantum-coherent charge motion, is a recent research focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally verify the prediction of shot noise disappearance in classically chaotic mesoscopic conductors.
- To investigate the role of electron dwell time in chaotic cavities on shot noise.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing chaotic cavities to control electron dwell times.
- Tuning the system to regimes of quantum scattering and classically deterministic motion.
Main Results:
- Shot noise is observed when electron motion is 'smeared' by quantum scattering (long dwell times).
- Shot noise disappears when electron motion becomes classically deterministic (short dwell times).
Conclusions:
- Experimental confirmation of shot noise suppression in classically chaotic mesoscopic systems.
- Demonstration that quantum effects and classical chaos dynamics influence charge transport fluctuations.
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