Quantum printing and induced vorticity in superconductors I: Linearly polarized light

Abstract: We propose an approach to use linearly polarized light to imprint superconducting (SC) vortices. Within the framework of the generalized time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations, we demonstrate the induction of the coherent vortex pairs that move in phase with electromagnetic wave oscillations. The overall vorticity of the superconductor remains zero throughout the cycle. Our results uncover rich multiscale dynamics of SC vorticity and suggest optical applications for various types of structured light. In a departure from classical laser printing, the laser printing proposed here can be viewed as quantum printing where we induce quantum excitations in the SC liquid.