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Finite-temperature conductance of weakly interacting quantum wires with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

We calculate the finite-temperature conductance of clean, weakly interacting one-dimensional quantum wires subject to Rashba spin-orbit coupling and a magnetic field. For chemical potentials near the center of the Zeeman gap ($μ= 0$), two-particle scattering causes the leading deviation from the quantized conductance at finite temperatures. On the other hand, for $|μ| > 0$, three-particle scattering processes become more relevant. These deviations are a consequence of the strongly nonlinear single-particle spectrum, and are thus not accessible using Luttinger liquid theory. We discuss the observability of these predictions in current experiments on InSb nanowires and in "spiral liquids", where a spontaneous ordering of the nuclear spins at low temperatures produces an effective Rashba coupling.