Quantum Electron Transport in Disordered Wires with Symplectic Symmetry

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum electron transport in disordered wires with symplectic symmetry, revealing distinct conductance behaviors for odd and even channels, with implications for metallic carbon nanotubes.

Contribution

It introduces a supersymmetric field theory analysis of conductance in disordered wires with symplectic symmetry, emphasizing the role of Zirnbauer's zero mode in odd-channel cases.

Findings

Average conductance approaches 1 for odd channels as wire length increases.

Average conductance vanishes for even channels with increasing wire length.

Zirnbauer's zero mode is crucial for understanding anomalous conductance in odd-channel wires.

Abstract

The conductance of disordered wires with symplectic symmetry is studied by the supersymmetric field theory. Special attention is focused on the case where the number of conducting channels is odd. Such a situation can be realized in metallic carbon nanotubes. The average dimensionless conductance g is obtained using Zirnbauer's super-Fourier analysis. It is shown that with increasing wire length, g approaches to 1 in the odd-channel case, while g vanishes in the ordinary even-channel case. It should be emphasized that the so-called Zirnbauer's zero mode, which has been believed to be unphysical, is essential for describing the anomalous behavior in the odd-channel case.