Many-body structure of quantum vortices in thin 4He films

Abstract

We propose a microscopic theory of quantum vortices in two-dimensional 4He, applicable to thin superfluid 4He films. The theory describes the vortex core and reproduces the classical logarithmic behavior at large distances. The single vortex is treated as a quasiparticle. We calculate the energy needed to create a single vortex, the vortex inertial mass, the microscopic interaction between vortices and the binding energy of the vortex-antivortex pair as a function of density at zero temperature. At 4He densities less than 0.037 Å −2 the binding energy of the vortex-antivortex pair becomes negative, indicating an instability for the creation of a novel state.