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Why Shot Noise Does Not Generally Detect Pairing in Mesoscopic Superconducting Tunnel Junctions
Jiasen Niu1, Koen M Bastiaans2, Jian-Feng Ge1
1Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Physical Review Letters
|March 1, 2024
Summary
Shot-noise spectroscopy can detect electron pairing in superconductors. However, typical mesoscopic junctions show single electron tunneling (q=1e) noise, masking pairing signatures due to low-transparency channels.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Transport
Background:
- Shot noise in tunneling experiments reveals carrier charge.
- Superconducting electron pairing is detectable via shot noise (q=2e vs q=1e).
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate shot noise in mesoscopic superconducting junctions.
- Determine if electron pairing signatures are observable via shot noise.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a newly developed amplifier for shot-noise measurements.
- Analyzed shot noise in typical mesoscopic superconducting junctions.
Main Results:
- Observed shot noise corresponding to single electron tunneling (q=1e), not electron pairing (q=2e).
- Demonstrated that transparency controls shot noise, with q=1e arising from numerous low-transparency channels.
Conclusions:
- Typical mesoscopic superconducting junctions exhibit q=1e noise, obscuring pairing signatures.
- Provides design guidelines for junctions enabling electron pairing detection via shot noise.
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