Hydrodynamic fluctuations in Luttinger liquids

We develop the theory of hydrodynamic fluctuations for one-dimensional quantum liquids. At low temperatures the relaxation of interacting electrons in a single-channel wire separates into two classes: equilibration, which changes the numbers of right and left movers through backscattering and is exponentially slow, and thermalization, which redistributes energy and momentum at a fixed number of movers at a power-law rate. This separation of time scales gives the electron liquid a two-fluid description analogous to superfluid $^4$He, with the zero mode of the Luttinger liquid as the superfluid component and the gas of thermal excitations as the normal component. Using Onsager reciprocity and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we add Langevin fluxes to the two-fluid hydrodynamic equations, including a mutual-friction noise generated by rare backscattering events that has no counterpart in helium. We apply the theory to Coulomb-coupled quantum wires and calculate the dynamic structure factors, which contain a second-sound peak next to the plasmon doublet; the Coulomb drag resistivity, where intrawire equilibration acts as a bottleneck and turns the hydrodynamic drag into an activated temperature dependence; and the near-field heat transfer between the wires. Mode frequencies, spectral weights, linewidths, and the crossover scales of the transport coefficients are expressed through the thermodynamic properties of the liquid and a few dissipative coefficients, providing spectroscopic and transport probes of two-fluid behavior in one-dimensional quantum systems.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
arXiv (Cornell University)
Published
2026-10-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2610.37301
Primary Topic
Quantum and electron transport phenomena
Type
preprint
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preprint

Hydrodynamic fluctuations in Luttinger liquids

Alex Levchenko
arXiv (Cornell University)
Quantum and electron transport phenomena
preprint

Hydrodynamic fluctuations in Luttinger liquids

Alex Levchenko
preprint en

Abstract

We develop the theory of hydrodynamic fluctuations for one-dimensional quantum liquids. At low temperatures the relaxation of interacting electrons in a single-channel wire separates into two classes: equilibration, which changes the numbers of right and left movers through backscattering and is exponentially slow, and thermalization, which redistributes energy and momentum at a fixed number of movers at a power-law rate. This separation of time scales gives the electron liquid a two-fluid description analogous to superfluid $^4$He, with the zero mode of the Luttinger liquid as the superfluid component and the gas of thermal excitations as the normal component. Using Onsager reciprocity and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we add Langevin fluxes to the two-fluid hydrodynamic equations, including a mutual-friction noise generated by rare backscattering events that has no counterpart in helium. We apply the theory to Coulomb-coupled quantum wires and calculate the dynamic structure factors, which contain a second-sound peak next to the plasmon doublet; the Coulomb drag resistivity, where intrawire equilibration acts as a bottleneck and turns the hydrodynamic drag into an activated temperature dependence; and the near-field heat transfer between the wires. Mode frequencies, spectral weights, linewidths, and the crossover scales of the transport coefficients are expressed through the thermodynamic properties of the liquid and a few dissipative coefficients, providing spectroscopic and transport probes of two-fluid behavior in one-dimensional quantum systems.

arXiv (Cornell University)
Quantum and electron transport phenomena
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