1/3-shot-noise suppression in diffusive nanowires

Abstract

We report low-temperature shot-noise measurements of short diffusive Au wires attached to electron reservoirs of varying sizes. The measured noise suppression factor compared to the classical noise value $2e|I|$ strongly depends on the electric heat conductance of the reservoirs. For small reservoirs injection of hot electrons increases the measured noise, and hence the suppression factor. The universal $1/3$ suppression factor can only asymptotically be reached for macroscopically large and thick electron reservoirs. A heating model based on the Wiedemann-Franz law is used to explain this effect.