Detecting noise with shot noise using on-chip photon detector

Y. Jompol (1, 2) , P. Roulleau (1, 2) , T. Jullien (1, 2) , B. Roche (1, 2) , I. Farrer (3) , D. A. Ritchie (3) , D. C. Glattli (1, 2)

1 SPEC - UMR3680 - Service de physique de l'état condensé
2 GNE - Groupe Nano-Electronique
3 Cavendish Laboratory

The high-frequency radiation emitted by a quantum conductor presents a rising interest in quantum physics and condensed matter. However, its detection with microwave circuits is challenging. Here, we propose to use the photon-assisted shot noise for on-chip radiation detection. It is based on the low-frequency current noise generated by the partitioning of photon-excited electrons and holes, which are scattered inside the conductor. For a given electromagnetic coupling to the radiation, the photon-assisted shot noise response is shown to be independent on the nature and geometry of the quantum conductor used for the detection, up to a Fano factor, characterizing the type of scattering mechanism. Ordered in temperature or frequency range, from few tens of mK or GHz to several hundred of K or THz respectively, a wide variety of conductors can be used like Quantum Point Contacts (this work), diffusive metallic or semi-conducting films, graphene, carbon nanotubes and even molecule, opening new experimental opportunities in quantum physics.

Domains: Physics [physics]

Y. Jompol, P. Roulleau, T. Jullien, B. Roche, I. Farrer, et al.. Detecting noise with shot noise using on-chip photon detector. Nature Communications, 2015, 6, pp.6130. ⟨10.1038/ncomms7130⟩. ⟨cea-01366527⟩