Planckian relaxation delusion in metals

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the concept of a universal Planckian limit for electron scattering rates in metals, arguing that recent claims of such a limit are based on misinterpretations of experimental data.

Contribution

It provides a critical review of the evidence for the Planckian limit, clarifies misconceptions, and discusses the lack of a universally accepted theoretical explanation for linear resistivity in cuprates.

Findings

No definitive experimental evidence for a universal Planckian limit.

Linear resistivity in cuprates lacks a comprehensive theoretical explanation.

The supposed Planckian limit is a misinterpretation of data procedures.

Abstract

We present a critical review of recent attempts to introduce the new quantum ("Planckian") limit for the temperature dependence of inelastic scattering rate of electrons in metals. We briefly discuss the main experimental facts and some simple theoretical models explaining the linear in temperature growth of resistivity (starting from very low temperatures) in superconducting cuprates and some similar systems. There is no commonly accepted theoretical explanation of such behavior up to now. We also discuss the known quantum limits for electrical conductivity (resistance). It is shown that the universal Planckian limit for the inelastic relaxation rate proposed in some papers is a kind of delusion related to a certain procedure to represent the experimental data.