Role of electron-electron collisions for magnetotransport at intermediate temperatures

Abstract

We discuss galvanomagnetic and thermomagnetic effects in disordered electronic systems focusing on intermediate temperatures, for which electron-electron scattering and electron-impurity scattering occur at similar rates, while phonon-related effects can be neglected. In particular, we explore how electric and thermal currents driven either by an electric field or by a temperature gradient are affected by the interplay of momentum-dependent electron-impurity scattering, electron-electron scattering, and the presence of a magnetic field. We find that the electric resistance, the Seebeck coefficient and the Nernst coefficient are particularly sensitive to the momentum dependence of the electron-impurity scattering rate at intermediate temperatures. A sufficiently strong momentum dependence of the electron-impurity scattering rate can induce a sign change of the Seebeck coefficient. This sign change can be suppressed by a perpendicular magnetic field. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the Seebeck coefficient can be used for measuring the magnitude of the electron-impurity and electron-electron scattering rates. The Nernst coefficient vanishes for momentum-independent electron-impurity scattering, but displays a maximum at finite temperatures once the momentum dependence is accounted for. By contrast, the Hall coefficient and the Righi-Leduc coefficient display only a weak dependence on the momentum dependence of the electron-impurity scattering at intermediate temperatures.