A geometric model for odd differential K-theory

Odd K-theory has the interesting property that it admits an infinite number of inequivalent differential refinements. In this paper we provide a bundle theoretic model for odd differential K-theory using the caloron correspondence and prove that this refinement is unique up to a unique natural isomorphism. We characterise the odd Chern character and its transgression form in terms of a connection and Higgs field and discuss some applications. Our model can be seen as the odd counterpart to the Simons–Sullivan construction of even differential K-theory. We use this model to prove a conjecture of Tradler–Wilson–Zeinalian [16], which states that the model developed there also defines the unique differential extension of odd K-theory.