Elasticity-driven interaction between vortices in type-II superconductors

The contribution to the vortex lattice energy which is due to the vortex-induced strains is calculated, covering all the magnetic-field range which defines the vortex state. The comparison with previously reported results shows that, in most of the vortex state, it has been notably underestimated until now. The assumption that only the vortex cores induce strains leads to this underestimation. In fact, all spatial variations of the order parameter induce strain. Core regions are important because here the order parameter varies strongly, but the non-core regions (smooth variations) might be even more important if their extension is large enough. It proves that in high-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ superconductors, in which the supercurrent regions with smooth variation of the order parameter are much more extended than the cores, the major contribution to the vortex-induced strains is due to the non-core regions.