Unconventional quasiparticle lifetime in graphite

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron-electron interactions affect quasiparticle lifetimes in graphite, revealing non-Fermi liquid behavior with a linear energy dependence, consistent with recent experimental findings.

Contribution

It demonstrates that reduced Fermi surface dimensionality causes non-Fermi liquid behavior in graphite, highlighting the role of screening suppression on quasiparticle lifetimes.

Findings

Inverse lifetime increases linearly with energy

Non-Fermi liquid behavior observed in graphite

Similar effects expected in nanotubes and narrow-gap semiconductors

Abstract

The influence of electron-electron scattering on quasiparticle lifetimes in graphite is calculated. In the limit when the Fermi surface is reduced to isolated points in the Brillouin Zone, the suppression of screening leads to non Fermi liquid behavior. The inverse lifetime increases linearly with energy, in agreement with recent experiments. Similar features should also be present in narrow gap semiconductors, and in carbon nanotubes.