Bulk odd-frequency pairing in the superconducting Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model

Abstract

The Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model describes fermions that hop on a one-dimensional chain with staggered hopping amplitude, where the unit cell contains two sites, or two sublattices. In this work we consider the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with superconducting pairing and show that the sublattice index acts as an additional quantum number in the classification of Cooper pairs, giving rise to inter- and intrasublattice odd-frequency pair correlations in the bulk. Interestingly, this system behaves as a two-band superconductor where the bulk odd-frequency correlations depend solely on the intrinsic staggering properties of the model. In general, odd-frequency correlations coexist with even-frequency correlations in both the trivial and topological phases, with comparable and even larger odd-frequency amplitudes at the topological phase transition points at low frequencies, due to the closing of the energy gap at these points. Furthermore, we also discuss how bulk odd-frequency amplitudes are correlated with pseudogaps in the density of states and also with a charge density wave that appears due to the chemical potential imbalance between sublattices.

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