Schwinger pair creation in Dirac semimetals in the presence of external magnetic and electric fields

R. a. A Abramchuk (1) , M. a. Zubkov (2, 3, 4, 5)

1 MIPT - Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology [Moscow]
2 ITEP - Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics [Moscow]
3 LMPT - Laboratoire de Mathématiques et Physique Théorique
4 Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies, 45000 Orléans, France
5 The National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) [Moscow, Russia]

We discuss the Schwinger pair creation process for the system of massless Dirac fermions in the presence of constant external magnetic and electric fields. The pair production rate remains finite unlike the vacuum decay rate. In the recently discovered Dirac semimetals, where the massless Dirac fermions emerge, this pair production may be observed experimentally through the transport properties. We estimate its contribution to the ordinary conductivity of the semimetals.

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Systèmes mésoscopiques et effet Hall quantique [cond-mat.mes-hall]; Physique des Hautes Energies - Phénoménologie [hep-ph]

R. a. A Abramchuk, M. a. Zubkov. Schwinger pair creation in Dirac semimetals in the presence of external magnetic and electric fields. Physical Review D, 2016, 94 (11), ⟨10.1103/PhysRevD.94.116012⟩. ⟨hal-02538646⟩