Electrostatics of Vortices in Type II Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electrostatic properties of vortices in type II superconductors, calculating their line charge and electric field distribution considering metallic screening effects.

Contribution

It provides a detailed calculation of vortex line charge and electric field distribution, incorporating metallic screening in type II superconductors.

Findings

Vortex line charge is determined considering gap variation and screening.

Electric field resembles that of an atomic size dipole.

Field strength is in the pico to femto Newton range.

Abstract

In a type II superconductor the gap variation in the core of a vortex line induces a local charge modulation. Accounting for metallic screening, we determine the line charge of individual vortices and calculate the electric field distribution in the half space above a field penetrated superconductor. The resulting field is that of an atomic size dipole ${\bf d} \sim e a_{{\rm B}} {\bf {\hat z}}$, $a_{{\rm B}} = \hbar^2/m e^2$ is the Bohr radius, acting on a force microscope in the pico to femto Newton range.