Factorization of quantum charge transport for non-interacting fermions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that charge transfer statistics for non-interacting fermions can be universally decomposed into independent single-particle events, regardless of temperature or scattering matrix complexity.

Contribution

It generalizes the binomial charge transfer statistics to all temperatures and scattering matrices, extending previous zero-temperature and adiabatic pumping results.

Findings

Charge transfer follows a generalized binomial distribution.

Any charge transfer process can be decomposed into independent single-particle events.

Results hold for arbitrary temperature and scattering matrix forms.

Abstract

We show that the statistics of the charge transfer of non-interacting fermions through a two-lead contact is generalized binomial, at any temperature and for any form of the scattering matrix: an arbitrary charge-transfer process can be decomposed into independent single-particle events. This result generalizes previous studies of adiabatic pumping at zero temperature and of transport induced by bias voltage.