We study two capacitively coupled double quantum dots focusing on the regime in which one double dot is strongly biased, while no voltage is applied to the other. Then the latter experiences an effective driving force which induces a ratchet current, i.e., a dc current in the absence of a bias voltage. Its current noise is investigated with a quantum master equation in terms of the full-counting statistics. This reveals that whenever the ratchet current is large, it also exhibits some features of a Poissonian process. By eliminating the drive circuit, we obtain a reduced master equation which provides analytical results for the Fano factor.

• Received 20 July 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.115452