Non-quasiparticle transport and resistivity saturation: a view from the large-N limit

Abstract

Electron dynamics: A new model for resistivity saturation Resistivity saturates as a function of temperature in some metals; this happens in a regime in which the usual description of a metal in terms of ballistically propagating quasiparticles does not apply. In this work Yochai Werman and co-workers from Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and Stanford University in the US introduce a tractable microscopic model which allows a fully quantum mechanical treatment of the electrons. In the non-quasiparticle regime, the single-particle lifetime decreases without bound, yet the resistivity saturates. The saturation of the resistivity is due to the appearance of a distinct conductivity channel, in accordance with experimental evidence. Beyond the implications for resistivity of metals, the current analysis may be extended to other problems of unconventional metallic transport.