Steps Toward a Capacitance Standard Based on Single-Electron Counting at PTB

A capacitance standard based on the definition of capacitance C=Ne/U is realized if a capacitor is charged with a known number N of electrons (e is the elementary charge), and the voltage U across the capacitor is measured . If U is measured by means of a Josephson voltage standard, C is solely determined by quantum numbers and fundamental constants. Presently, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is setting up this experiment using a special type of single-electron pump, the so-called r-pump , for transferring electrons one by one onto a cryogenic vacuum capacitor with the decadic capacitance C =1 pF. We report on the progress in the setup with emphasis on the characterization of the single-electron tunneling elements. We describe the modifications of the single-electron circuit that are necessary to implement the capacitor charging experiment by using a four- or five-junction r-pump.