Graphene - a nearly perfect fluid

Abstract

Hydrodynamics and collision dominated transport are crucial to understand the slow dynamics of many correlated quantum liquids. The ratio η/s of the shear viscosity ηto the entropy density s is uniquely suited to determine how strongly the excitations in a quantum fluid interact. We determine η/s in clean undoped graphene using a quantum kinetic theory. As a result of the quantum criticality of this system the ratio is smaller than in many other correlated quantum liquids and, interestingly, comes close to a lower bound conjectured in the context of the quark gluon plasma. We discuss possible consequences of the low viscosity, including pre-turbulent current flow.

4+ pages, 2 figures, published version