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I have been trying to understand the Drude Weight quantity that is used in the Metal-Insulator transition and Spin chain literature, and I have not been able to find any clear intuitive explanations of what it means, where it comes from and when it is useful.

It is usually defined as part of the frequency-dependent conductivity: $$ \sigma(\omega) = 2 \pi \, D \, \delta(\omega) + \sigma_{\textrm{reg}}(\omega) $$ where $D$ is the Drude weight and $\sigma_{\textrm{reg}}$ is a regular function of $\omega$. This seems like the Drude weight is just the $\omega = 0$ component of the conductivity, i.e. the D.C. conductivity, is that true and if not how are the two different?

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2 Answers 2

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Thanks to the feedback of @guangcun I have changed parts of this answer.


As I understand it now, the Drude weight distinguishes between an insulator and a metal in a clean model system. This means, for example, a lattice model with no impurities. The response is also calculated at $T=0$. These two things mean there are no dissipation mechanisms and so the currents do not decay, which is distinct from superconducting currents that are dissipationless at finite temperatures (below the critical temperature) and when there are some impurities.


How a delta in the frequency response relates to dissipationless currents:

Consider a simple 1D example without any consideration of spatial dependence of the response. An electric current $I(t)$ flows in response to a time-varying electric field $E(t)$. In linear response this current can be computed as $$ I(t) = \int_{-\infty}^t dt' \, \sigma(t-t') \, E(t') $$ where $\sigma(t-t')$ is the conductivity, and is also the Green's function of the current. Physically the Green's function of current is the current that will flow in response an impulse, $E(t) = E_0 \delta(t)$.

Now consider the what happens if $\sigma(\omega)$, the Fourier transform of $\sigma(t)$, contains a delta-function. Taking the inverse Fourier transform this gives a constant contribution to $\sigma(t)$ $$ \sigma(t) = \mathcal{F}^{-1}[ \, 2 \pi D \delta(\omega) \, + \, \ldots \,] = D \, + \, \ldots \, . $$ Meaning, if the Drude weight is non-zero, an impulse produces a current that flows at all times without decaying. Or, considering a step function electric field, $E(t) = E_0 \theta(t)$ the current that flows $$ I(t) = \int_{-\infty}^t dt' \, (D + \ldots) \, E_0 \, \theta(t') = D \, E_0 \, t + \ldots $$ has a contribution that grows linearly with time.

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  • $\begingroup$ Typically electron scattering will cause the Drude current to decay, and the corresponding Drude peak to attain finite width. Nevertheless the distinction between the Drude and regular conductivities still remains meaningful: the Drude conductivity is due to intra-band process (i.e. displacing the Fermi sea), and the regular conductivity due to inter-band processes. See eg. iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-648X/aade19/meta $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 21, 2023 at 13:54
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just a comment on your answer: Drude weight is not charactering the superconducting, it is only used to distinguish metal and insulator. The constant value simply because there is no dissipation in Drude theory. You can refer to the paper by PRB 47, 7995 (1993).

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  • $\begingroup$ thanks for clarifying! I hadn't appreciated that the Drude weight is relevant in the $T=0$ limit with no impurities, which that paper makes clear. I also see now how that would be relevant to a clean model system. Before, I was coming at it imagining an experimental setup where dissipationless currents would (as I understand it) imply superconductivity rather than a clean theoretical metal. I think I see the difference now. $\endgroup$
    – RGWinston
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 18:03

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