Measurements of Coulomb blockade with a noninvasive voltage probe

We have investigated the behavior of a laterally confined quantum dot in close proximity to a one-dimensional channel in a separate electrical circuit. When this channel is biased in the tunneling regime the resistance is very sensitive to electric fields, and therefore is sensitive to the potential variations on the dot when it is showing Coulomb blockade oscillations. This effect can be calibrated directly, allowing the Coulomb charging energy to be measured. We also found the activation energy of transport through the dot is much lower than expected.