Xh. Wang et Ka. Chao, INTRINSIC LIMITS OF THERMOMETERS BASED ON COULOMB CHARGING EFFECT IN ARRAYS OF TUNNEL-JUNCTIONS, Solid-state electronics, 42(7-8), 1998, pp. 1397-1400
Arrays of normal metal tunnel junctions have been found to be suitable
for a thermometer in the regime where thermal energy is comparable to
charging energy. Using a functional integral approach, we have calcul
ated the quantum conductance of an array of asymmetric double junction
s including the effect of background charges. Our theoretical results
allow us to investigate the influence of asymmetry and background char
ge, as well as the nonlinear correction to the linear calibration form
ula for the Coulomb blockade thermometer. We have also analyzed the cu
rrent noise spectra and discovered that the noise to conductance ratio
is proportional to temperature. Hence, this ratio provides a new kind
of Coulomb blockade thermometer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r
ights reserved.