Universal First-Passage-Time Distribution of Non-Gaussian Currents

Area of Science:

• Mesoscopic physics
• Quantum transport
• Statistical mechanics

Background:

• Understanding charge transfer fluctuations is crucial for mesoscopic systems.
• First-passage time distributions characterize transport dynamics.
• Coulomb blockade regime offers a unique platform for studying electron transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate fluctuations in the time for electric charge to reach a threshold.
• Measure first-passage time distributions for electron transfer between metallic islands.
• Develop and validate a universal analytical approximation for these distributions.

Main Methods:

• Experimental measurement of first-passage times in the Coulomb blockade regime.
• Numerical calculations based on nonequilibrium stationary Markov process theory.
• Derivation and application of a simple analytical approximation for first-passage-time distributions.

Main Results:

• Experimental results show excellent agreement with numerical calculations and recent theory.
• A novel analytical approximation accurately describes non-Gaussian electron transport statistics.
• The approximation demonstrates high accuracy for experimental distributions and is universally applicable.
• Experimental verification of a fluctuation relation for first-passage-time distributions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides accurate experimental validation for theories of first-passage-time distributions in mesoscopic systems.
• A universal analytical approximation is presented, capturing non-Gaussian transport statistics effectively.
• This approximation extends beyond mesoscopic charge transport, offering broad applicability to stochastic processes.