Counting statistics of single electron transport in a quantum dot

Abstract

We present measurements of counting statistics for electron transport in a quantum dot. By counting the electrons one by one using a quantum point contact as a charge detector, we are able to generate the distribution function of the current fluctuations. From the distribution function, higher order noise correlations can be determined. We measure a reduction of both the second moment (variance, related to shot noise) and the third moment (asymmetry) of the current distribution compared to a Poisson distribution. The reduction of noise can be explained by the increase in electron correlation due to Coulomb blockade. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.