Equal contribution of even-frequency and odd-frequency pairing to transport across normal metal–superconductor junctions

Abstract

Odd-frequency pairing is an unconventional type of Cooper pairing in superconductors related to the frequency dependence of the corresponding anomalous Green's function. We show by a combination of analytical and numerical methods that odd-frequency pairing is ubiquitously present in the current of Andreev-scattered particles across a junction formed by a normal metal (N) and a superconductor (S), even if the superconducting pairing is of conventional s-wave, spin-singlet type. We carefully analyze the conductance of NS junctions with different pairing symmetries (s wave, p wave, d wave). In all cases, we identify a generic equal balance of even- and odd-frequency pairing to the contributions related to Andreev reflection. This analysis shows in retrospect that the presence of odd-frequency pairing in electric currents across NS junctions is rather the rule, not the exception. This insight stems from an alternative approach of analyzing the transport problem of hybrid structures. It is based on the Kubo-Greenwood formula with direct access to symmetries of the anomalous Green's functions characterizing the superconducting pairing. We expect that our predictions substantially enrich the interpretation of transport data across NS junctions in many material combinations.

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