Non-equilibrium superconductivity in driven alkali-doped fullerides

Abstract

We investigate the formation of non-equilibrium superconducting states in driven alkali-doped fullerides A$_3$C$_{60}$. Within a minimal three-orbital model for the superconductivity of these materials, it was recently demonstrated theoretically that an orbital-dependent imbalance of the interactions leads to an enhancement of superconductivity at equilibrium [M. Kim et al. Phys. Rev. B 94, 155152 (2016)]. We investigate the dynamical response to a time periodic modulation of this interaction imbalance, and show that it leads to the formation of a transient superconducting state which survives much beyond the equilibrium critical temperature $T_c$. For a specific range of modulation frequencies, we find that the driving reduces superconductivity when applied to a superconducting state below $T_c$, while still inducing a superconducting state when the initial temperature is larger than $T_c$. These findings reinforce the relevance of the interaction-imbalance mechanism as a possible explanation of the recent experimental observation of light-induced superconductivity in alkali-doped fullerenes.