Symmetry constraints on the elastoresistivity tensor

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how symmetry constraints influence the elastoresistivity tensor in crystalline materials, providing insights into electronic states and phase transitions through symmetry-based analysis.

Contribution

It offers a detailed symmetry analysis of the elastoresistivity tensor, especially for the $D_{4h}$ point group, and explores its relation to thermodynamic susceptibilities near critical points.

Findings

Symmetry constraints restrict the form of the elastoresistivity tensor.

The tensor's relation to thermodynamic susceptibilities reveals insights into phase transitions.

Analysis applicable to materials with $D_{4h}$ symmetry and magnetic field effects.

Abstract

The elastoresistivity tensor $m_{ij,kl}$ characterizes changes in a material's resistivity due to strain. As a fourth-rank tensor, elastoresistivity can be a uniquely useful probe of the symmetries and character of the electronic state of a solid. We present a symmetry analysis of $m_{ij,kl}$ (both in the presence and absence of a magnetic field) based on the crystalline point group, focusing for pedagogic purposes on the $D_{4h}$ point group (of relevance to several materials of current interest). We also discuss the relation between $m_{ij,kl}$ and various thermodynamic susceptibilities, particularly where they are sensitive to critical fluctuations proximate to a critical point at which a point group symmetry is spontaneously broken.