Odd-frequency pairs in chiral symmetric systems: Spectral bulk-boundary correspondence and topological criticality

Sep 15, 2018
17 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.B 99 (2019) 18, 184512
  • Published: May 22, 2019
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Abstract: (APS)
Odd-frequency Cooper pairs with chiral symmetry emerging at the edges of topological superconductors are a useful physical quantity for characterizing the topological properties of these materials. In this work, we show that the odd-frequency Cooper pair amplitudes can be expressed by a winding number extended to a nonzero frequency, which is called a “spectral bulk-boundary correspondence,” and can be evaluated from the spectral features of the bulk. The odd-frequency Cooper pair amplitudes are classified into two categories: the amplitudes in the first category have the singular functional form ∼1/z (where z is a complex frequency) that reflects the presence of a topological surface Andreev bound state, whereas the amplitudes in the second category have the regular form ∼z and are regarded as nontopological. We discuss the topological phase transition by using the coefficient in the latter category, which undergoes a power-law divergence at the topological phase transition point and is used to indicate the distance to the critical point. These concepts are established based on several concrete models, including a Rashba nanowire system that is promising for realizing Majorana fermions.
Note:
  • 14 pages, 11 figures
  • Superfluidity and superconductivity