English

Detecting the quantum zero-point motion of vortices in the cuprate superconductors

Superconductivity 2007-05-23 v1 Strongly Correlated Electrons

Abstract

We explore the experimental implications of a recent theory of the quantum dynamics of vortices in two-dimensional superfluids proximate to Mott insulators. The theory predicts modulations in the local density of states in the regions over which the vortices execute their quantum zero point motion. We use the spatial extent of such modulations in scanning tunnelling microscopy measurements on the vortex lattice of BSCCO to estimate the inertial mass of a point vortex. We discuss other, more direct, experimental signatures of the vortex dynamics.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0602429,
  title  = {Detecting the quantum zero-point motion of vortices in the cuprate superconductors},
  author = {Lorenz Bartosch and Leon Balents and Subir Sachdev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0602429},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

24 pages, 5 figures; expanded version of cond-mat/0502002, with details of calculations