DC resistivity of quantum critical, charge density wave states from gauge-gravity duality

TL;DR

This paper uses gauge-gravity duality to analytically compute the dc resistivity of quantum critical charge density wave states, revealing temperature scaling behaviors and potential relevance to high-temperature superconductors.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical calculation of dc resistivity in holographic CDW quantum critical phases, linking theoretical models to experimental observations.

Findings

Resistivity depends on critical exponents and can indicate conducting or insulating ground states.

Results suggest incoherent processes dominate resistivity in CDW states, unlike weakly pinned metals.

Potential implications for understanding strange metallic behavior in cuprates.

Abstract

In contrast to metals with weak disorder, the resistivity of weakly-pinned charge density waves (CDWs) is not controlled by irrelevant processes relaxing momentum. Instead, the leading contribution is governed by incoherent, diffusive processes which do not drag momentum and can be evaluated in the clean limit. We compute analytically the dc resistivity for a family of holographic charge density wave quantum critical phases and discuss its temperature scaling. Depending on the critical exponents, the ground state can be conducting or insulating. We connect our results to dc electrical transport in underdoped cuprate high $T_c$ superconductors. We conclude by speculating on the possible relevance of unstable, semi-locally critical CDW states to the strange metallic region.