Comment on Vortex Mass and Quantum Tunneling of Vortices

Abstract

Vortex mass in Fermi superfluids and superconductors and its influence on quantum tunneling of vortices are discussed. The vortex mass is essentially enhanced due to the fermion zero modes in the core of the vortex: the bound states of the Bogoliubov qiasiparticles localized in the core. These bound states form the normal component which is nonzero even in the low temperature limit. In the collisionless regime $\omega_0\tau \gg 1$, the normal component trapped by the vortex is unbound from the normal component in the bulk superfluid/superconductors and adds to the inertial mass of the moving vortex. In the d-wave superconductors, the vortex mass has an additional factor $(B_{c2}/B)^{1/2}$ due to the gap nodes.