Shot Noise in Mesoscopic Systems: from Single Particles to Quantum Liquids

TL;DR

This review discusses how shot noise measurements reveal microscopic charge dynamics and electron correlations in mesoscopic systems, especially in quantum liquids like those from the Kondo effect, fractional quantum Hall effect, and superconductivity.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of shot-noise theory, measurement techniques, and recent experimental insights into quantum liquids in mesoscopic physics.

Findings

Shot noise measurements reveal electron scattering processes.

Shot noise provides insights into electron correlations in quantum liquids.

Recent experiments demonstrate the role of shot noise in understanding quantum transport phenomena.

Abstract

Shot noise, originating from the discrete nature of electric charge, is generated by scattering processes. Shot-noise measurements have revealed microscopic charge dynamics in various quantum transport phenomena. In particular, beyond the single-particle picture, such measurements have proved to be powerful ways to investigate electron correlation in quantum liquids. Here, we review the recent progress of shot-noise measurements in mesoscopic physics. This review summarizes the basics of shot-noise theory based on the Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker formalism, measurement techniques used in previous studies, and several recent experiments demonstrating electron scattering processes. We then discuss three different kinds of quantum liquids, namely those formed by, respectively, the Kondo effect, the fractional quantum Hall effect, and superconductivity. Finally, we discuss current noise within the framework of nonequilibrium statistical physics and review related experiments. We hope that this review will convey the significance of shot-noise measurements to a broad range of researchers in condensed matter physics.