Incoherent scatterer in a Luttinger liquid: a new paradigmatic limit

Abstract

We address the problem of a Luttinger liquid with a scatterer that allows for both coherent and incoherent scattering channels. The asymptotic behavior at zero temperature is governed by a new stable fixed point: a Goldstone mode dominates the low energy dynamics, leading to a universal behavior. This limit is marked by equal probabilities for forward and backward scattering. Notwithstanding this non-trivial scattering pattern, we find that the shot noise as well as zero cross-current correlations vanish. We thus present a paradigmatic picture of an impurity in the Luttinger model, alternative to the Kane-Fisher picture.