VORTEX CHARGE IN TYPE-II SUPERCONDUCTORS

In a type II superconductor the gap variation in the core of a vortex line induces a local charge modulation. Accounting for metallic screen ing, we determine the effective line charge of individual vortices and calculate the electric field distribution in the half space above a f ield penetrated superconductor. The resulting field is that of an atom ic size dipole d similar to ea(B) (Z) over cap, a(B) = Bohr radius, ac ting on a force microscope in the pico to femto Newton range.