Estimating the mass of vortices in the cuprate superconductors

TL;DR

This paper estimates the inertial mass of vortices in cuprate superconductors by analyzing local density of states modulations caused by quantum vortex motion, linking theory with STM experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a method to estimate vortex mass using STM data based on a recent quantum vortex dynamics theory.

Findings

Estimated vortex mass from STM data.

Predicted density of states modulations due to vortex quantum motion.

Discussed experimental signatures of vortex dynamics.

Abstract

We explore the experimental implications of a recent theory of the quantum dynamics of vortices in superfluids proximate to Mott insulators (cond-mat/0408329 and cond-mat/0409470). 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 (Hoffman et al., cond-mat/0201348) 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.