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Charge transport in Weyl semimetals
Pavan Hosur1, S A Parameswaran, Ashvin Vishwanath
1Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 10, 2012
Summary
We investigated transport in Weyl semimetals, finding conductivity depends on temperature and disorder. Our results offer insights into electron behavior in these unique materials.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Weyl semimetals exhibit unique electronic properties due to their band structure.
- Understanding transport phenomena in these materials is crucial for potential applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate electrical conductivity in Weyl semimetals under varying conditions.
- To analyze the impact of Coulomb interactions and disorder on transport properties.
Main Methods:
- Solving a quantum Boltzmann equation within a leading log approximation.
- Computing Kubo conductivity for noninteracting disordered systems.
Main Results:
- In the clean interacting limit, conductivity is proportional to temperature (T).
- In the disordered case, conductivity exhibits distinct behaviors for ω << T and ω >> T.
- A finite DC conductivity and vanishing Drude width were observed in the disordered case.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding transport in Weyl semimetals.
- Results are compared with experimental data on Y2Ir2O7 and Eu2Ir2O7.
- Findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of electron transport in topological materials.
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