Anisotropic Conductivity of Nodal Line Semimetal in Single-Component Molecular Conductor [Pd(dddt)$_2$]

Abstract

Using a tight-binding model, we theoretically examine the anisotropic conductivity of the nodal line semimetal of a three-dimensional Dirac electron in a single-component molecular conductor [Pd(dddt)$_2$], which consists of four molecules with HOMO and LUMO orbitals per unit cell. The conductivity shows an anisotropy given by $\sigma_y > \sigma_x > \sigma_z$ in accordance with that of the velocity of the Dirac cone where $z$ is the interlayer direction and $y$ is the molecular stacking direction. With increasing pressure, the nodal line semimetal emerges, followed by a loop of the Dirac point where $\sigma_x$ takes its maximum at a pressure. Such a pressure dependence is studied by calculating the density of states and chemical potential. The temperature dependence of anisotropic conductivity is examined at low temperatures to obtain a constant behavior, which is ascribed to the Dirac electron. The relevance of the present calculation to the experiment is discussed.