Frequency-dependent current correlation functions from scattering theory

TL;DR

This paper develops a scattering theory-based formalism to compute quantum current correlation functions at various frequencies, aiding the analysis of full counting statistics and higher moments in charge transfer.

Contribution

It introduces a general method for calculating frequency-dependent quantum current correlations using scattering theory, including non-Keldysh ordered functions and higher-order cumulants.

Findings

Explicit frequency dependence of third order current correlations analyzed

Method applicable to arbitrary order correlation functions

Results extend to include interactions and energy-dependent scattering

Abstract

We present a general formalism based on scattering theory to calculate quantum correlation functions involving several time-dependent current operators. A key ingredient is the causality of the scattering matrix, which allows one to deal with arbitrary correlation functions. Our formalism might be useful in view of recent developments in full counting statistics of charge transfer, where detecting schemes have been proposed for measurement of frequency dependent spectra of higher moments. Some of these schemes are different from the well-known fictitious spin-detector and therefore generally involve calculation of non-Keldysh-contour-ordered correlation functions. As an illustration of our method we consider various third order correlation functions of current, including the usual third cumulant of current statistics. We investigate the frequency dependence of these correlation functions explicitly in the case of energy-independent scattering. The results can easily be generalized to the calculation of arbitrary n-th order correlation functions, or to include the effect of interactions.