Novel elastic and thermoelectric responses in Dirac matter

The experimental advance in the fabrication of new materials is producing a huge amount of theoretical and experimental results that challenge the conventional models of condensed matter theory. After an intense and successful analysis of the properties of graphene and topological insulators, the interest has shifted towards 3D topological semimetals. Their singular characteristic is that their low-energy electronic excitations are modelled by the Dirac equation, which establishes an interesting relation to quantum field theory and particle physics. The interest in these systems lies partially on the relativistic nature of their electronic degrees of freedom, making them an ideal laboratory to test and study fundamental physics phenomena. In this context, we address the influence of thermal and mechanical disturbances on the electronic properties of these systems. The influence of external deformations on the lattice configuration of topological semimetals is essential to understand their electronic properties. We study the coupling of lattice deformations to Dirac quasiparticles in three-dimensional materials by using a symmetry approach. In addition, we show that an anomalous, finite contribution to the thermoelectric coefficient is obtained at the charge neutrality point.