Lattice quantum Monte Carlo study of chiral magnetic effect in Dirac semimetals

Abstract

In this paper Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) in Dirac semimetals is studied by means of lattice Monte Carlo simulation. We measure conductivity of Dirac semimetals as a function of external magnetic field in parallel σ∥ and perpendicular σ⊥ to the external field directions. The simulations are carried out in three regimes: semimetal phase, onset of the insulator phase and deep in the insulator phase. In the semimetal phase σ∥ grows whereas σ⊥ drops with magnetic field. Similar behaviour was observed in the onset of the insulator phase but conductivity is smaller and its dependence on magnetic field is weaker. Finally in the insulator phase conductivities σ∥,⊥ are close to zero and do not depend on magnetic field. In other words, we observe manifestation of the CME current in the semimetal phase, weaker manifestation of the CME in the onset of the insulator phase. We do not observe signatures of CME in the insulator phase. We believe that the suppression of the CME current in the insulator phase is connected to chiral symmetry breaking and generation of dynamical fermion mass which take place in this phase. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.