Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Letter

Conserved current of nonconserved quantities

Cong Xiao1,2,3 and Qian Niu1,4

  • 1Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • 3HKU-UCAS Joint Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics at Hong Kong, China
  • 4ICQD/HFNL and School of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China

Phys. Rev. B 104, L241411 – Published 27 December, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.L241411

Abstract

We provide a unified semiclassical theory for the conserved current of nonconserved quantities, and manifest it in two physical contexts: the spin current of Bloch electrons and the charge current of mean-field Bogoliubov quasiparticles. We reveal that the previously overlooked torque quadrupole density and Berry phase correction to the torque dipole density are essential to assure a circulating spin current with null net flow at equilibrium. The band geometric origin of spin transport is ascertained to be the momentum space Berry curvature instead of the spin Berry curvature, paving the way for material related studies. In superconductors the attained conserved charge current corresponds to the quasiparticle charge current renormalized by the condensate backflow. Its circulation at equilibrium gives an orbital magnetization, which involves the characteristics of superconductivity, such as the Berry curvature arising from unconventional pairing and an orbital magnetic moment induced by the charge dipole of moving quasiparticles.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Authorization Required

We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

References (Subscription Required)

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation