Creep of superconducting vortices in the limit of vanishing temperature: Afingerprint of off-equilibrium dynamics

We theoretically study the creep of vortex matter in superconductors. The l ow temperature experimental phenomenology, previously interpreted in terms of "quantum tunneling" of vortices, is reproduced by Monte Carlo simulation s of a purely "classical" vortex model. We demonstrate that a nonzero creep rate in the limit of vanishing temperature is to be expected in systems wi th slow relaxations as a consequence of their off-equilibrium evolution in a complex free energy landscape.