Hydrodynamic theory of fluctuating stripes

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:16080092,
            doi = {10.48660/16080092},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/16080092},
            author = {Delacretaz, Luca},
            keywords = {Condensed Matter, Quantum Fields and Strings},
            language = {en},
            title = {Hydrodynamic theory of fluctuating stripes},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2016},
            month = {aug},
            note = {PIRSA:16080092 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

I will present a hydrodynamic description of matter in a charge density wave (or "smectic") phase. As in superfluids, the spontaneous breaking of a continuous symmetry -- here translations in one direction -- adds a Goldstone phase to the usual long lived hydrodynamic variables. This phase propagates as a highly anisotropic "second sound" mode at low energies, affecting properties such as transport. Phase fluctuations, due to proliferating dislocations, give a finite life-time to certain collective modes, which can be experimentally probed e.g. by measuring ultrasound attenuation. Using the memory matrix, the hydrodynamic approach predicts sound attenuation to be proportional to the shear viscosity of the normal (non-smectic) state.