Geometry-induced skin effect in electron hydrodynamics
Phys. Rev. B 114, 235403 – Published 2 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/44gb-44x4
Abstract
In ultraclean 2D materials, electron viscosity is as important as Ohmic dissipation, and electron transport exhibits hydrodynamic features. Using a simple framework of Brinkman equations, we find that hydrodynamic electron flows give rise to a geometric skin effect: sharp obstacles locally enhance the current, suppressing it far from the edges where the flow is unobstructed. This effect arises within hydrodynamic transport with finite momentum relaxation and does not rely on ballistic dynamics. Our results provide a natural hydrodynamic interpretation of edge-enhanced and double-bump current profiles observed in constricted geometries. By comparing with recent scanning NV magnetometry experiments on gated graphene, we demonstrate that such flow patterns are consistent with viscous hydrodynamics shaped by geometry, clarifying the role of geometric effects in the interpretation of electronic flow experiments.
