Valley current in graphene through electron-phonon interaction

Abstract: We discuss valley current, which is carried by quasiparticles in graphene. We show that the valley current arises owing to a peculiar term in the electron-phonon collision integral that mixes the scalar and vector gauge-field-like vertices in the electron-phonon interaction. This mixing makes collisions of phonons with electrons sensitive to their chirality, which is opposite in two valleys. As a result of collisions with phonons, electrons of the different valleys deviate in opposite directions. Breaking the spatial inversion symmetry is not needed for a valley-dependent deviation of the quasiparticle current. The effect exists both in pristine graphene or bilayer graphene samples, and it increases with temperature owing to a higher rate of collisions with phonons at higher temperatures. The valley current carried by quasiparticles could be detected by measuring the electric current using a nonlocal transformer of a suitable design.