Non-Abelian vortices and non-Abelian statistics

Abstract

We study the interactions of non-Abelian vortices in two spatial dimensions. These interactions have novel features, because the Aharonov-Bohm effect enables a pair of vortices to exchange quantum numbers. The cross section for vortex-vortex scattering is typically a multivalued function of the scattering angle. There can be an exchange contribution to the vortex-vortex scattering amplitude that adds coherently with the direct amplitude, even if the two vortices have distinct quantum numbers. Thus two vortices can be "indistinguishable" even though they are not the same. © 1993 The American Physical Society.