Collision-dominated nonlinear hydrodynamics in graphene

TL;DR

This paper develops a hydrodynamic theory for electronic transport in graphene, highlighting the role of viscosity and nonlinear effects in high-temperature, interaction-dominated regimes.

Contribution

It derives a comprehensive hydrodynamic framework from microscopic equations, including dissipation and viscosity, for the first time in graphene.

Findings

Viscosity significantly affects transport in clean, high-temperature graphene.

Viscosity influences nonlocal conductivity and plasmon dispersion.

Nonlinear hydrodynamics explains hot spot relaxation in graphene.

Abstract

We present an effective hydrodynamic theory of electronic transport in graphene in the interaction-dominated regime. We derive the emergent hydrodynamic description from the microscopic Boltzmann kinetic equation taking into account dissipation due to Coulomb interaction and find the viscosity of Dirac fermions in graphene for arbitrary densities. The viscous terms have a dramatic effect on transport coefficients in clean samples at high temperatures. Within linear response, we show that viscosity manifests itself in the nonlocal conductivity as well as dispersion of hydrodynamic plasmons. Beyond linear response, we apply the derived nonlinear hydrodynamics to the problem of hot spot relaxation in graphene.