Abstract. The joint probability distribution in the full counting statistics (FCS) for noninteracting electrons is discussed for an arbitrary number of initially separate subsystems which are connected at t = 0 and separated again at a later time. A simple method to obtain the leading-order long-time contribution to the logarithm of the characteristic function is presented which simplifies earlier approaches. New explicit results for the determinant involving the scattering matrices are found. The joint probability distribution for the charges in two leads is discussed for Y junctions and dots connected to four leads.

Print publication: Issue 47 (25 November 2009)
Received 31 March 2009, in final form 9 April 2009
Published 5 November 2009