Enhanced thermal Hall effect in nearly ferroelectric insulators

Abstract

In the context of recent experimental observations of an unexpectedly large thermal Hall conductivity, $\kappa_H$, in insulating $\mathrm{La_2CuO_4}$ (LCO) and $\mathrm{SrTiO_3}$ (STO), we theoretically explore conditions under which acoustic phonons can give rise to such a large $\kappa_H$. Both the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to $\kappa_H$ are large in proportion to the dielectric constant, $\epsilon$, and the flexoelectric coupling, $F$. While the intrinsic contribution is still orders of magnitude smaller than the observed effect, an extrinsic contribution proportional to the phonon mean free path appears likely to account for the observations, at least in STO. We predict a larger intrinsic $\kappa_H$ in certain insulating perovskites.