The low-frequency shot-noise power of a normal-metal–superconductor junction is studied for an arbitrary normal region. Through a scattering approach, a formula is derived that expresses the shot-noise power in terms of the transmission eigenvalues of the normal region. The noise power divided by the current is enhanced by a factor 2 with respect to its normal-state value, due to Cooper-pair transport in the superconductor. For a disordered normal region, it is still smaller than the Poisson noise, as a consequence of noiseless open scattering channels.

• Received 28 February 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.16070