Quantum suppression of shot noise in field emitters

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that quantum effects can significantly suppress shot noise in nanometer-scale electron emitters, such as carbon nanotubes, revealing new quantum transport phenomena beyond classical expectations.

Contribution

It introduces the analysis of shot noise suppression in nanoscale electron emitters using the Landauer-Buttiker framework, highlighting quantum partitioning effects.

Findings

Shot noise is much smaller than Schottky noise in nanometer-scale emitters.

Quantum partitioning causes observable shot-noise suppression.

Carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for observing this quantum effect.

Abstract

We have analyzed the shot noise of electron emission under strong applied electric fields within the Landauer-Buttiker scheme. In contrast to the previous studies of vacuum-tube emitters, we show that in new generation electron emitters, scaled down to the nanometer dimensions, shot noise much smaller than the Schottky noise is observable. Carbon nanotube field emitters are among possible candidates to observe the effect of shot-noise suppression caused by quantum partitioning.