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

Phys Rev Lett. 2021 May 21;126(20):206601. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.206601.

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 nonperturbative 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.