Distribution of Current Fluctuations in a Bistable Conductor

S. Singh, J. T. Peltonen, I. M. Khaymovich, J. V. Koski, C. Flindt, J. P. Pekola

Published 2016-06-22Version 1

We measure the full distribution of current fluctuations in a single-electron transistor with a controllable bistability. The conductance switches randomly between two levels due to the tunneling of single electrons in a separate single-electron box. The electrical fluctuations are detected over a wide range of time scales and excellent agreement with theoretical predictions is found. For long integration times, the distribution of the time-averaged current obeys the large-deviation principle with fluctuations that resemble those of a first-order phase transition. We formulate and verify a fluctuation relation for the bistable region of the current distribution. The findings presented here are important for the understanding of bistabilities which can be found in many physical systems.