Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities

The spatial modulation of the Fermi velocity for gapless Dirac electrons in quantum materials is mathematically equivalent to the problem of massless fermions on a certain class of curved spacetime manifolds. We study null geodesic lensing through these manifolds, which are dominated by curvature si...

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Main Author: Seth M. Davis, Matthew S. Foster
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SciPost 2022-06-01
Series:SciPost Physics
Online Access:https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.12.6.204
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author Seth M. Davis, Matthew S. Foster
author_facet Seth M. Davis, Matthew S. Foster
author_sort Seth M. Davis, Matthew S. Foster
collection DOAJ
description The spatial modulation of the Fermi velocity for gapless Dirac electrons in quantum materials is mathematically equivalent to the problem of massless fermions on a certain class of curved spacetime manifolds. We study null geodesic lensing through these manifolds, which are dominated by curvature singularities, such as nematic singularity walls (where the Dirac cone flattens along one direction). Null geodesics lens across these walls, but do so by perfectly collimating to a local transit angle. Nevertheless, nematic walls can trap null geodesics into stable or metastable orbits characterized by repeated transits. We speculate about the role of induced one-dimensionality for such bound orbits in 2D dirty d-wave superconductivity.
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spelling doaj.art-4406bbc933174bb68f533fc929b3d30d2022-12-22T02:38:24ZengSciPostSciPost Physics2542-46532022-06-0112620410.21468/SciPostPhys.12.6.204Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularitiesSeth M. Davis, Matthew S. FosterThe spatial modulation of the Fermi velocity for gapless Dirac electrons in quantum materials is mathematically equivalent to the problem of massless fermions on a certain class of curved spacetime manifolds. We study null geodesic lensing through these manifolds, which are dominated by curvature singularities, such as nematic singularity walls (where the Dirac cone flattens along one direction). Null geodesics lens across these walls, but do so by perfectly collimating to a local transit angle. Nevertheless, nematic walls can trap null geodesics into stable or metastable orbits characterized by repeated transits. We speculate about the role of induced one-dimensionality for such bound orbits in 2D dirty d-wave superconductivity.https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.12.6.204
spellingShingle Seth M. Davis, Matthew S. Foster
Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
SciPost Physics
title Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
title_full Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
title_fullStr Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
title_full_unstemmed Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
title_short Geodesic geometry of 2+1-D Dirac materials subject to artificial, quenched gravitational singularities
title_sort geodesic geometry of 2 1 d dirac materials subject to artificial quenched gravitational singularities
url https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.12.6.204
work_keys_str_mv AT sethmdavismatthewsfoster geodesicgeometryof21ddiracmaterialssubjecttoartificialquenchedgravitationalsingularities