Johnson Noise and Shot Noise: The Determination of the Boltzmann Constant, Absolute Zero Temperature and the Charge of the Electron

In electronic measurements, one observes “signals,” which must be distinctly above the “noise.” Noise induced from outside sources may be reduced by shielding and proper “grounding.” Less noise means greater sensitivity with signal/noise as the figure of merit. However, there exist fundamental sources of noise which no clever circuit can avoid. The intrinsic noise is a result of the thermal jitter of the charge carriers and the quantization of charge. The purpose of this experiment is to measure these two limiting electrical noises. From the measurements, values of the Boltzmann constant and the charge of the electron will be derived.