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Main Authors: Zhong, Luyao, Jin, Xin, He, Mingquan, Wang, Rui, Zhou, Xiaoyuan, Deng, Tianqi, Yang, Xiaolong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06290
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author Zhong, Luyao
Jin, Xin
He, Mingquan
Wang, Rui
Zhou, Xiaoyuan
Deng, Tianqi
Yang, Xiaolong
author_facet Zhong, Luyao
Jin, Xin
He, Mingquan
Wang, Rui
Zhou, Xiaoyuan
Deng, Tianqi
Yang, Xiaolong
contents The Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law, relating the electronic thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm e}$) to the electrical conductivity, is vital in numerous applications such as in the design of thermoelectric materials and in the experimental determination of the lattice thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm L}$). While the WF law is generally robust, violations are frequently observed, typically manifesting in a reduced Lorenz number ($L$) relative to the Sommerfeld value ($L_0$) due to inelastic scattering. Here, we report a pronounced departure from the WF law in the topological semimetal CoSi, where the electronic Lorenz number ($L_{\rm e}$) instead rises up to $\sim40\%$ above $L_0$. We demonstrate that this anomaly arises from strong bipolar diffusive transport, enabled by topological band-induced electron-hole compensation, which allows electrons and holes to flow cooperatively and additively enhance the heat current. Concurrently, we unveil that the lattice contribution to thermal conductivity is anomalously large and becomes the dominant component below room temperature. As a result, if $κ_{\rm L}$ is assumed negligible -- as conventional in metals, the resulting $L$ from the total thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm tot}=κ_{\rm L}+κ_{\rm e}$) deviates from $L_0$ by more than a factor of three. Our work provides deeper insight into the unconventional thermal transport physics in topological semimetals.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_06290
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Phonon-Dominated Thermal Transport and Large Violation of the Wiedemann-Franz Law in Topological Semimetal CoSi
Zhong, Luyao
Jin, Xin
He, Mingquan
Wang, Rui
Zhou, Xiaoyuan
Deng, Tianqi
Yang, Xiaolong
Materials Science
The Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law, relating the electronic thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm e}$) to the electrical conductivity, is vital in numerous applications such as in the design of thermoelectric materials and in the experimental determination of the lattice thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm L}$). While the WF law is generally robust, violations are frequently observed, typically manifesting in a reduced Lorenz number ($L$) relative to the Sommerfeld value ($L_0$) due to inelastic scattering. Here, we report a pronounced departure from the WF law in the topological semimetal CoSi, where the electronic Lorenz number ($L_{\rm e}$) instead rises up to $\sim40\%$ above $L_0$. We demonstrate that this anomaly arises from strong bipolar diffusive transport, enabled by topological band-induced electron-hole compensation, which allows electrons and holes to flow cooperatively and additively enhance the heat current. Concurrently, we unveil that the lattice contribution to thermal conductivity is anomalously large and becomes the dominant component below room temperature. As a result, if $κ_{\rm L}$ is assumed negligible -- as conventional in metals, the resulting $L$ from the total thermal conductivity ($κ_{\rm tot}=κ_{\rm L}+κ_{\rm e}$) deviates from $L_0$ by more than a factor of three. Our work provides deeper insight into the unconventional thermal transport physics in topological semimetals.
title Phonon-Dominated Thermal Transport and Large Violation of the Wiedemann-Franz Law in Topological Semimetal CoSi
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06290