Quantum transport of slow charge carriers in quasicrystals and correlated systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the semi-classical conduction model fails for slow charge carriers in quasicrystals, causing a transition from metallic to insulating behavior, explaining their unconventional conduction properties.

Contribution

It introduces a breakdown of the semi-classical model for slow charge carriers, linking it to the unique conduction behavior in quasicrystals and similar systems.

Findings

Breakdown of semi-classical conduction for slow carriers

Transition from metallic to insulating regime with increased scattering

Analogies with heavy fermion and polaronic systems

Abstract

We show that the semi-classical model of conduction breaks down if the mean free path of charge carriers is smaller than a typical extension of their wavefunction. This situation is realized for sufficiently slow charge carriers and leads to a transition from a metallic like to an insulating like regime when scattering by defects increases. This explains the unconventional conduction properties of quasicrystals and related alloys. The conduction properties of some heavy fermions or polaronic systems, where charge carriers are also slow, present a deep analogy.