Hot electron relaxation in normal state of iron pnictides: memory function approach

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-equilibrium electron relaxation in the normal state of iron pnictides using the memory function approach, analyzing electron-magnon and electron-phonon interactions across various temperature and frequency regimes.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for understanding electron relaxation in iron pnictides considering non-equilibrium steady states and frequency-dependent scattering rates.

Findings

At high temperatures, scattering rates are linearly dependent on temperature.

At low temperatures, electron-phonon and electron-magnon scattering rates follow T^3 and T^{3/2} behaviors.

In the AC regime, scattering rates depend on frequency as ω^2 and ω^{3/2} in different limits.

Abstract

This study leads to the investigation of the non-equilibrium electron relaxation in the normal state of iron pnictides. Here we consider the relaxation of electrons due to their coupling with magnons and phonons in the metallic state of iron pnictides using the memory function approach. In the present model, electrons live at a higher temperature than that of the phonon and magnon baths, mimicking a non-equilibrium steady state situation. Further we analyze theoretically the generalized Drude scattering rate within the framework of Two Temperature Model and study the full frequency and temperature behavior for it. In zero frequency regime, the rate of electron-magnon scattering and electron-phonon scattering shows a linear temperature dependence at higher temperature values greater than Bloch-Gr\"{u}neisen temperature. Whereas at lower temperature values, $T\ll\Theta_{BG}$, corresponding scattering rates follow the temperature behavior as ($1/\tau_{e-p} \varpropto T^3$) and ($1/\tau_{e-m} \varpropto T^{3/2}$), respectively. In the AC regime, we compute that $1/\tau \propto \omega^2$ for $\omega\ll\omega_{BG}$ and for the values greater than the Bloch-Gr\"{u}neisen frequency, it is $\omega$-independent. Also, in lower frequency and zero temperature limit, we have observed the different frequency scale of electron-magnon and electron-phonon scattering i.e ($1/\tau \propto \omega^{3/2}$) and ($1/\tau\propto \omega^{3}$). These results can be viewed with the pump-probe experimental setting for the normal state of iron pnictides.