Noise-induced leakage and counting errors in the electron pump

Computer simulations reveal that the lowest rates of leakage and counting e rrors observed in the electron pump can be explained by photon-assisted tun neling driven by 1/f noise. The noise power at microwave frequencies requir ed to account for the observed errors is consistent with extrapolation of t he low-frequency noise spectrum commonly recorded in single-electron transi stors. Pump simulations, based on the ground-capacitance model, include cot unneling as well as single-junction photon-assisted tunneling. Quantitative agreement between theory and experiment is obtained for leakage and counti ng errors in pumps with four, five, six, and seven junctions in the limit o f low temperatures and low counting rates. The effect of self-heating is ex plored.