Z₂ order fractionalization, topological phase transition, and odd frequency pairing in an exactly solvable spin-charge ladder

Motivated by the order fractionalization in Kitaev-Kondo model, we propose an exactly solvable spin-charge ladder model to study the order fractionalization with discrete symmetry. The spin-charge ladder is composed of a spin chain and a superconducting wire coupled via an Ising-type interaction, and we obtain the exact solution in the flat band limit. The exact solution reveals the Z₂ order fractionalization with dual symmetry breaking and intertwined order parameters. We investigate the topological phase transition of the spin-charge ladder via the spectral chiral index, and identify the correlated topological superconductor (TSC*) phase with gapped Z₂ Kondo flux excitations. We demonstrate Majorana spinons generated odd frequency pairing in the superconducting wire. We also discuss the order fractionalization in the perspective of Z₂ lattice gauge theory.