arXiv subjects

I. A. Shovkovy

Publications and source records attributed to I. A. Shovkovy.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Pseudomagnetic lens as a valley and chirality splitter in Dirac and Weyl materials

It is proposed that strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields in Dirac and Weyl materials could be used as valley and chirality sensitive lenses for beams of Weyl quasiparticles. The study of the (pseudo-)magnetic lenses is performed by using the eikonal approximation for describing the Weyl quasiparticles propagation in magnetic and strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields. Analytical expressions for the locations of the principal foci and the focal lengths are obtained in the paraxial approximation in the models with uniform as well as nonuniform effective magnetic fields inside the lens. The results show that the left- and right-handed quasiparticles can be focused at different spatial locations when both magnetic and pseudomagnetic fields are applied. It is suggested that the use of magnetic and pseudomagnetic lenses could open new ways of producing and manipulating beams of chiral Weyl quasiparticles.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Second-order dissipative hydrodynamics for plasma with chiral asymmetry and vorticity

By making use of the chiral kinetic theory in the relaxation-time approximation, we derive an Israel-Stewart type formulation of the hydrodynamic equations for a chiral relativistic plasma made of neutral particles (e.g., neutrinos). The effects of chiral asymmetry are captured by including an additional continuity equation for the axial charge, as well as the leading-order quantum corrections due to the spin of particles. In a formulation of the chiral kinetic theory used, we introduce a symmetric form of the energy-momentum tensor that is suitable for the description of a weakly nonuniform chiral plasma. By construction, the energy and momentum are conserved to the same leading order in the Planck constant as the kinetic equation itself. By making use of such a chiral kinetic theory and the Chapman-Enskog approach, we obtain a set of second-order dissipative hydrodynamic equations. The effects of the fluid vorticity and velocity fluctuations on the dispersion relations of chiral vortical waves are analyzed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

Second-order chiral kinetic theory: Chiral magnetic and pseudomagnetic waves

The consistent chiral kinetic theory accurate to the second order in electromagnetic and pseudoelectromagnetic fields is derived for a relativistic matter with two Weyl fermions. By making use of such a framework, the properties of longitudinal collective excitations, which include both chiral magnetic and chiral pseudomagnetic waves, are studied. It is shown that the proper treatment of dynamical electromagnetism transforms these gapless waves into chiral (pseudo)magnetic plasmons, whose Langmuir (plasma) gap receives corrections quadratic in both magnetic and pseudomagnetic fields.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Pseudomagnetic helicons

The existence of pseudomagnetic helicons is predicted for strained Dirac and Weyl materials. The corresponding collective modes are reminiscent of the usual helicons in metals in strong magnetic fields but can exist even without a magnetic field due to a strain-induced background pseudomagnetic field. The properties of both pseudomagnetic and magnetic helicons are investigated in Weyl matter using the formalism of the consistent chiral kinetic theory. It is argued that the helicon dispersion relations are affected by the electric and chiral chemical potentials, the chiral shift, and the energy separation between the Weyl nodes. The effects of multiple pairs of Weyl nodes are also discussed. A simple setup for experimental detection of pseudomagnetic helicons is proposed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Consistent Chiral Kinetic Theory in Weyl Materials: Chiral Magnetic Plasmons

We argue that the correct definition of the electric current in the chiral kinetic theory for Weyl materials should include the Chern-Simons contribution that makes the theory consistent with the local conservation of the electric charge in electromagnetic and strain-induced pseudoelectromagnetic fields. By making use of such a kinetic theory, we study the plasma frequencies of collective modes in Weyl materials in constant magnetic and pseudomagnetic fields, taking into account the effects of dynamical electromagnetism. We show that the collective modes are chiral plasmons. While the plasma frequency of the longitudinal collective mode coincides with the Langmuir one, this mode is unusual because it is characterized not only by oscillations of the electric current density, but also by oscillations of the chiral current density. The latter are triggered by a dynamical version of the chiral electric separation effect. We also find that the plasma frequencies of the transverse modes split up in a magnetic field. This finding suggests an efficient means of extracting the chiral shift parameter from the measurement of the plasma frequencies in Weyl materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Chiral magnetic plasmons in anomalous relativistic matter

The chiral plasmon modes of relativistic matter in background magnetic and strain-induced pseudomagnetic fields are studied in detail using the consistent chiral kinetic theory. The results reveal a number of anomalous features of these chiral magnetic and pseudomagnetic plasmons that could be used to identify them in experiment. In a system with nonzero electric (chiral) chemical potential, the background magnetic (pseudomagnetic) fields not only modify the values of the plasmon frequencies in the long-wavelength limit, but also affect the qualitative dependence on the wave vector. Similar modifications can be also induced by the chiral shift parameter in Weyl materials. Interestingly, even in the absence of the chiral shift and external fields, the chiral chemical potential alone leads to a splitting of plasmon energies at linear order in the wave vector.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Anomaly-driven inverse cascade and inhomogeneities in a magnetized chiral plasma in the early Universe

By making use of a simple model that captures the key features of the anomalous Maxwell equations, we study the role of inhomogeneities on the evolution of magnetic fields in a chiral plasma. We find that inhomogeneities of the chiral asymmetry by themselves do not prevent the anomaly-driven inverse cascade and, as in the homogeneous case, the magnetic helicity is transferred from shorter to longer wavelength helical modes of the magnetic field. However, we also find that the evolution appears to be sensitive to the effects of diffusion. In the case when diffusion is negligible, the inverse cascade slows down considerably compared to the homogeneous scenario. In the case of the primordial plasma, though, we find that the diffusion is substantial and efficiently suppresses chiral asymmetry inhomogeneities. As a result, the inverse cascade proceeds practically in the same way as in the chirally homogeneous model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Electrified magnetic catalysis in three-dimensional topological insulators

The gap equations for the surface quasiparticle propagators in a slab of three-dimensional topological insulator in external electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to the slab surfaces are analyzed and solved. A different type of magnetic catalysis is revealed with the dynamical generation of both Haldane and Dirac gaps. Its characteristic feature manifests itself in the crucial role that the electric field plays in dynamical symmetry breaking and the generation of a Dirac gap in the slab. It is argued that, for a sufficiently large external electric field, the ground state of the system is a phase with a homogeneous surface charge density.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Origin of dissipative Fermi arc transport in Weyl semimetals

By making use of a low-energy effective model of Weyl semimetals, we show that the Fermi arc transport is dissipative. The origin of the dissipation is the scattering of the surface Fermi arc states into the bulk of the semimetal. It is noticeable that corresponding scattering rate is nonzero and can be estimated even in a perturbative theory, although in general the reliable calculations of transport properties necessitate a nonperturbative approach. Nondecoupling of the surface and bulk sectors in the low-energy theory of Weyl semimetals invalidates the usual argument of a nondissipative transport due to one-dimensional arc states. This property of Weyl semimetals is in drastic contrast to that of topological insulators, where the decoupling is protected by a gap in the bulk. Within the framework of the linear response theory, we obtain an approximate result for the conductivity due to the Fermi arc states and analyze its dependence on chemical potential, temperature, and other parameters of the model.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Anomalous Maxwell equations for inhomogeneous chiral plasma

Using the chiral kinetic theory we derive the electric and chiral current densities in inhomogeneous relativistic plasma. We also derive equations for the electric and chiral charge chemical potentials that close the Maxwell equations in such a plasma. The analysis is done in the regimes with and without a drift of the plasma as a whole. In addition to the currents present in the homogeneous plasma (Hall current, chiral magnetic, chiral separation, and chiral electric separation effects, as well as Ohm's current) we derive several new terms associated with inhomogeneities of the plasma. Apart from various diffusion-like terms, we find also new dissipation-less terms that are independent of relaxation time. Their origin can be traced to the Berry curvature modifications of the kinetic theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2016

Chiral separation and chiral magnetic effects in a slab: The role of boundaries

We study the chiral separation and chiral magnetic effects in a slab of Dirac semimetal of finite thickness, placed in a constant magnetic field perpendicular to its surfaces. We utilize the Bogolyubov boundary conditions with a large Dirac mass (band gap) outside the slab. We find that, in a finite thickness slab, the axial current density is induced by helicity-correlated standing waves and, as a consequence, is quantized. The quantization is seen in its stepped-shape dependence on the fermion chemical potential and a sawtooth-shape dependence on the thickness of the slab. In contrast to a naive expectation, there is no chiral charge accumulation anywhere in the bulk or at the boundaries of the semimetal. In the same slab geometry, we also find that a nonzero chiral chemical potential induces no electric current, as might have been expected from the chiral magnetic effect. We argue that this outcome is natural and points to the truly non-static nature of the latter. By taking into account a nonzero electric field of a double layer near the boundaries of the slab, we find that the low-energy modes under consideration satisfy the continuity equation for axial current density without the anomalous term.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Surface Fermi arcs in $Z_2$ Weyl semimetals $A_3 Bi$ (A=Na, K, Rb)

The surface Fermi arc states in $Z_2$ Weyl semimetals $A_3 Bi$ (A=Na, K, Rb) are studied by employing a continuum low-energy effective model. It is shown that the surface Fermi arc states can be classified with respect to the ud-parity symmetry. Because of the symmetry, the arcs come in mirror symmetric pairs. The effects of symmetry breaking terms on the structure of the Fermi arcs are also studied. Among other results, we find at least two qualitatively different types of the surface Fermi arcs. The arcs of the first type link disconnected sheets of the bulk Fermi surface, while arcs of the second type link different points of the same bulk Fermi surface sheet.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Dirac semimetals $A_3Bi$ ($A$=Na,K,Rb) as $Z_2$ Weyl semimetals

We demonstrate that the physical reason for the nontrivial topological properties of Dirac semimetals $A_3 Bi$ (A=Na,K,Rb) is connected with a discrete symmetry of the low-energy effective Hamiltonian. By making use of this discrete symmetry, we argue that all electron states can be split into two separate sectors of the theory. Each sector describes a Weyl semimetal with a pair of Weyl nodes and broken time-reversal symmetry. The latter symmetry is not broken in the complete theory because the time-reversal transformation interchanges states from different sectors. Our findings are supported by explicit calculations of the Berry curvature. In each sector, the field lines of the curvature reveal a pair of monopoles of the Berry flux at the positions of Weyl nodes. The $Z_2$ Weyl semimetal nature is also confirmed by the existence of pairs of surface Fermi arcs, which originate from different sectors of the theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Chiral asymmetry in cold QED plasma in a strong magnetic field

The interaction induced chiral asymmetry is calculated in cold QED plasma beyond the weak-field approximation. By making use of the recently developed Landau-level representation for the fermion self-energy, the chiral shift and the parity-even chiral chemical potential function are obtained with the help of numerical methods. The results are used to quantify the chiral asymmetry of the Fermi surface in dense QED matter. Because of the weakness of the QED interactions, the value of the asymmetry appears to be rather small even in the strongest magnetic fields and at the highest stellar densities. However, the analogous asymmetry can be substantial in the case of dense quark matter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Quantum oscillations as a probe of interaction effects in Weyl semimetals in a magnetic field

The Weyl semimetal surface is modeled by applying the Bogolyubov boundary conditions, in which the quasiparticles have an infinite Dirac mass outside the semimetal. For a Weyl semimetal shaped as a slab of finite thickness, we derive an exact spectral equation for the quasiparticle states and obtain the spectrum of the bulk as well as surface Fermi arc modes. We also show that, in the presence of the magnetic field, the separation between Weyl nodes in momentum space and the length of the Fermi arcs in the reciprocal space are affected by the interactions. As a result, we find that the period of oscillations of the density of states related to closed magnetic orbits involving Fermi arcs has a nontrivial dependence on the orientation of the magnetic field projection in the plane of the semimetal surface. We conclude that the momentum space separation between Weyl nodes and its modification due the interaction effects in the magnetic field can be measured in the experimental studies of quantum oscillations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Chiral anomaly, dimensional reduction, and magnetoresistivity of Weyl and Dirac semimetals

By making use of the Kubo formula, we calculate the conductivity of Dirac and Weyl semimetals in a magnetic field. We find that the longitudinal (along the direction of the magnetic field) magnetoresistivity is negative at sufficiently large magnetic fields for {\it both} Dirac and Weyl semimetals. The physical reason of this phenomenon is intimately connected with the dimensional spatial reduction $3 \to 1$ in the dynamics of the lowest Landau level. The off-diagonal component of the transverse (with respect to the direction of the magnetic field) conductivity in Weyl semimetals contains an anomalous contribution directly proportional to the momentum space separation between the Weyl nodes. This contribution comes exclusively from the lowest Landau level and, as expected, is independent of the temperature, chemical potential, and magnetic field. The other part of the off-diagonal conductivity is the same as in Dirac semimetals and is connected with a nonzero density of charge carriers. The signatures for experimental distinguishing Weyl semimetals from Dirac ones through the measurements of conductivity are discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Engineering Weyl nodes in Dirac semimetals by a magnetic field

We study the phase diagram of a Dirac semimetal in a magnetic field at a nonzero charge density. It is shown that there exists a critical value of the chemical potential at which a first-order phase transition takes place. At subcritical values of the chemical potential the ground state is a gapped state with a dynamically generated Dirac mass and a broken chiral symmetry. The supercritical phase is the normal (gapless) phase with a nontrivial chiral structure: it is a Weyl semimetal with a pair of Weyl nodes for each of the original Dirac points. The nodes are separated by a dynamically induced chiral shift. The direction of the chiral shift coincides with that of the magnetic field and its magnitude is determined by the quasiparticle charge density, the strength of the magnetic field, and the strength of the interaction. The rearrangement of the Fermi surface accompanying this phase transition is described.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Chiral asymmetry in QED matter in a magnetic field

We calculate the electron self-energy in a magnetized QED plasma to the leading perturbative order in the coupling constant and to the linear order in an external magnetic field. We find that the chiral asymmetry of the normal ground state of the system is characterized by two new Dirac structures. One of them is the familiar chiral shift previously discussed in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The other structure is new. It formally looks like that of the chiral chemical potential but is an odd function of the longitudinal component of the momentum, directed along the magnetic field. The origin of this new parity-even chiral structure is directly connected with the long-range character of the QED interaction. The form of the Fermi surface in the weak magnetic field is determined.

hep-ph↗