A Computational Investigation of Hydrodynamic Electron Materials

In the hydrodynamic regime of transport, momentum-conserving scattering dominates momentum-relaxing processes such as Umklapp, defect and boundary scattering so that momentum is quasi-conserved and electron flow obeys the formalism of hydrodynamics. In light of recent experimental evidence of hydrodynamic transport in PdCoO₂, WP₂ and PtSn₄, understanding the specifics of microscopic scattering processes in these materials is of fundamental interest. In seeking a more comprehensive perspective of experimentally observed hydrodynamic phenomena, we use first-principles methods to evaluate a variety of different scattering lifetimes, and from them aim to describe the electrical and thermal conductivities of these materials. Through this computational framework, we probe the microscopic properties of the recently observed hydrodynamic materials to search for specific characteristics connected to their macroscopic flow.