Quantum criticality and minimal conductivity in graphene with long-range disorder

Abstract

We consider the conductivity $\sigma_{xx}$ of graphene with negligible intervalley scattering at half filling. We derive the effective field theory, which, for the case of a potential disorder, is a symplectic-class $\sigma$-model including a topological term with $\theta=\pi$. As a consequence, the system is at a quantum critical point with a universal value of the conductivity of the order of $e^2/h$. When the effective time reversal symmetry is broken, the symmetry class becomes unitary, and $\sigma_{xx}$ acquires the value characteristic for the quantum Hall transition.