Resistivity Exponents in 3D-Dirac Semimetals From Electron-Electron Interaction

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron-electron interactions in 3D-Dirac semimetals alter their resistivity and thermal transport, revealing a transition from quadratic to sixth-power temperature dependence and explaining experimental observations.

Contribution

It demonstrates that electron-electron interactions cause a significant change in resistivity behavior, from quadratic to $T^6$, in 3D-Dirac semimetals, across weak to strong coupling regimes.

Findings

Resistivity changes from quadratic to $T^6$ dependence due to interactions.

Thermal transport ratio remains linear in temperature despite interaction effects.

Results explain large temperature exponents observed experimentally in topological semimetals.

Abstract

We study the resistivity of three-dimensional semimetals with linear dispersion in the presence of on-site electron-electron interaction. The well-known quadratic temperature dependence of the resistivity of conventional metals is turned into an unusual $T^6$-behavior. An analogous change affects the thermal transport, preserving the linearity in $T$ of the ratio between thermal and electrical conductivities. These results hold from weak coupling up to the non-perturbative region of the Mott transition. Our findings yield a natural explanation for the hitherto not understood large exponents characterizing the temperature-dependence of transport experiments on various topological semimetals.