Conformal anomaly in Dirac systems: transport, boundaries, and screening

DIPC Seminars

Speaker

Maxim Chernodub, University of Tours, CNRS, France

When

2019/10/21
13:00

Place

Donostia International Physics Center

Add to calendar

iCal

Subscribe to Newsletter

Quantum fluctuations in an interacting, classically-conformal field theory usually break the underlying conformal invariance. This phenomenon, known as the conformal (as well as "scale," "Weyl," or "trace") anomaly, reveals itself via the presence of a nonzero beta function which determines the dependence of a particular coupling constant on the energy scale of the interaction. Using a Dirac semimetal as an example, we discuss transport effects that may be generated by the conformal anomaly both in bulk and at the boundary of the material. We show that the conformal anomaly generates the Nernst thermal current, leads to a polynomial screening of electrostatic field, and interferes naturally with the axial anomaly. All these effects are governed by the beta function associated with the electric charge renormalization in the material.