Myers, RobertSachdev, SubirSingh, Ajay2012-01-172011Myers, Robert, Subir Sachdev, and Ajay Singh. 2011. Holographic quantum critical transport without self-duality. Physical Review D 83(6): 066017.1550-2368http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:7692386We describe general features of frequency-dependent charge transport near strongly interacting quantum critical points in 2+1 dimensions. The simplest description using the AdS/CFT correspondence leads to a self-dual Einstein-Maxwell theory on AdS4, which fixes the conductivity at a frequency-independent self-dual value. We describe the general structure of higher-derivative corrections to the Einstein-Maxwell theory, and compute their implications for the frequency dependence of the quantum critical conductivity. We show that physical consistency conditions on the higher-derivative terms allow only a limited frequency dependence in the conductivity. The frequency dependence is amenable to a physical interpretation using transport of either particlelike or vortexlike excitations.en-UShigh energy physicsJournal Article2012-01-1710.1103/PhysRevD.83.066017