Controlling fluctuations in small structures: Hidden information in the noise

Abstract

The exploration of the rich dynamics of electrons is a frontier in fundamental nano-physics. The dynamical behavior of electrons is dominated by random and chaotic thermal motion with ultrafast ($\approx$ ps) and nanoscale scatterings. This generates fluctuating electromagnetic fields in close vicinity of the moving electrons. W studied this fluctuation in small structures and found that its spatial distribution is not uniform, the magnitude of the fluctuation depends on external parameters such as the size ( ~1 $\mu m$) and the shape of the structure and changes can occur by an order of magnitude. Our work opens the possibility of improving the signal to noise ratio in small devices and in manipulating microscopic electron kinematics through nano-optical techniques and to applications in thermal detectors and photothermal photovoltaics.