Hydrodynamic theory of thermoelectric transport and negative magnetoresistance in Weyl semimetals

Andrew Lucas*, Richard A. Davison, Subir Sachdev

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

113 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present a theory of thermoelectric transport in weakly disordered Weyl semimetals where the electron-electron scattering time is faster than the electron-impurity scattering time. Our hydrodynamic theory consists of relativistic fluids at each Weyl node, coupled together by perturbatively small intervalley scattering, and long-range Coulomb interactions. The conductivity matrix of our theory is Onsager reciprocal and positive semidefinite. In addition to the usual axial anomaly, we account for the effects of a distinct, axial-gravitational anomaly expected to be present in Weyl semi-metals. Negative thermal magnetoresistance is a sharp, experimentally accessible signature of this axial-gravitational anomaly, even beyond the hydrodynamic limit.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9463-9468
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume113
Issue number34
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Aug 2016

Keywords

  • Anomalies
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Thermoelectric effects
  • Weyl metals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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