Current noise in the vicinity of the 2D superconductor-insulator quantum critical point

A. G. Green, J. E. Moore, S. L. Sondhi, A. Vishwanath

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Systems near to quantum critical points show universal scaling in response to external probes. We consider whether this scaling is reflected in their out-of-equilibrium fluctuations. We study current noise in the metallic state at the z=1 quantum critical point between a superconductor and an insulator in two dimensions. Using a Boltzmann-Langevin approach within a 1/N expansion, we show that the current noise obeys a universal scaling form S-j=T Phi[T/T-eff(E)], with T-eff proportional to root E. This treatment recovers Johnson noise in thermal equilibrium and S-j proportional to root E at strong electric fields. The latter differs significantly from both the shot noise in conventional metals (diffusive Fermi liquids) and the free carrier result, due to strong correlations between the critical bosonic excitations. Current-noise measurements could therefore help clarify the physics of the destruction of superconductivity in thin film superconductors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number227003
Number of pages4
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume97
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2006

Keywords

  • FLUCTUATIONS
  • TRANSITION

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