Distribution of voltage fluctuations in a current-biased conductor

Abstract

We calculate the fluctuating voltage V(t) over a conductor driven out of equilibrium by a current source. This is the dual of the shot noise problem of current fluctuations I(t) in a voltage-biased circuit. In the single-channel case the distribution of the accumulated phase Phi=(e/hbar)\int Vdt is the Pascal (or binomial waiting-time) distribution -- distinct from the binomial distribution of transferred charge Q=\int Idt. The weak-coupling limit of a Poissonian P(Phi) is reached in the limit of a ballistic conductor, while in the tunneling limit P(Phi) has the chi-square form.