Subgap noise of a superconductor-normal-metal tunnel interface

Abstract

It is well established that the subgap conductivity through a normal-metal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction is strongly affected by interference of electron waves scattered by impurities. In this paper we investigate how the same phenomenon affects the low frequency current noise, $S$, for voltages $V$ and temperatures $T$ much smaller than the superconducting gap. If the normal metal is at equilibrium we find that the simple relation $S(V,T) = 4e {\rm coth} (eV/T) I(V,T) $ holds quite generally even for non-linear $I$-$V$ characteristics. Only when the normal metal is out of equilibrium, noise and current become independent. Their ratio, the Fano factor, depends then on the details of the layout.