Statistics of mesoscopic fluctuations of quantum capacitance

Abstract

The Thouless formula (G = (e²/h)(E_c/Δ) for the two-probe dc conductance G of a d-dimensional mesoscopic cube is re-analysed to relate its quantum capacitance C_Q to the reciprocal of the level spacing Δ. To this end, the escape time-scale τ occurring in the Thouless correlation energy (E_c = h/τ) is interpreted as the time constant τ = RC_Q with RG ≡ 1, giving at once C_Q = (e²/2π Δ). Thus, the statistics of the quantum capacitance is directly related to that of the level spacing, which is well known from the Random Matrix Theory for all the three universality classes of statistical ensembles. The basic questions of how intrinsic this quantum capacitance can arise purely quantum-resistively, and of its observability vis-a-vis the external geometric capacitance that combines with it in series, are discussed.