Electrooptical effect in YBa2Cu3O6+x films

Optical absorption in YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x metal films carrying a direct current up to 100 mA is investigated. For films with a highly nonlinear I-V curve the current is observed to have a strong influence on interband absorption. The effect is not observed in the region of optical transitions at local levels. The results are analyzed from the standpoint of carrier localization and delocalization processes. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1747–1749 (October 1997)     

Local magnetism in superconducting YBa2Cu3O6+x

Oxygen-deficient YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x samples were investigated by the muon spin rotation technique in zero external field. In an intermediate oxygen concentration region we find strongly relaxing μSR signals indicating the existence of internal magnetic fields. The strongly relaxing signals were observed only in samples with superconducting transition temperatures below 50 K. As an interpretation of the data we suggest that magnetic ordering and superconductivity coexist in these samples within regions of extensions of a few lattice constants, but not necessarily on the same sites.     

Theoretical study ofμ + site in YBa2Cu3O x site in YBa2Cu3O x

The muon is a useful probe of magnetic fields in superconductors, but knowing the field seen by the muon is often of limited value until we know where the muon is in the crystal lattice. Here we employ two independent theoretical methods to search for candidate muon sites:the potential energy field method, which seeks the minimum of the electrostatic potential of theμ ⁺, and themagnetic dipolar field method, which compares the calculated magnetic field (due to host electronic or nuclear dipolar fields) with the observed local fields at the muon. Work supported by Canadian NRC and NSERC.     

Magnetic properties of undoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 + x system

In the present paper, we study the magnetic properties of bilayer cuprate antiferromagnets. In order to evaluate the expressions for spin-wave dispersion, sublattice magnetization, Néel temperature and the magnetic contribution to the specific heat, the double time Green's function technique has been employed in the random phase approximation (RPA). The spin wave dispersion curve for a bilayer antiferromagnetic system is found to consist of one acoustic and one optic branch. The “optical magnon gap” has been attributed solely to the intra-bilayer exchange coupling (J _⊥ ) as its magnitude does not change significantly with the inter-bilayer exchange coupling (J_z). However J_z is essential to obtain the acoustic mode contribution to the magnetization. The numerical calculations show that the Néel temperature (T _N ) of the bilayer antiferromagnetic system increases with the J_z and a small change in J_z gives rise to a large change in the Néel temperature of the system. The magnetic specific heat of the system follows a T² behaviour but in the presence of J_z it varies faster than T². Received 13 July 2000 and Received in final form 14 May 2001     

Nanoscopic coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O6+x detected by muon spin rotation

We performed zero and transverse field muon spin rotation experiments on a large number of YBa2Cu3O6+x samples. We detect the coexistence of antiferromagnetic (AF) short range magnetism with superconductivity below T(f) < or = 10 K in compositions 0.37 < or = x < or = 0.39. Most muons experience local AF fields, even when a SQUID detects a full superconducting volume fraction, which points to a local minimal interference organization of short AF stripes embedded in the superconductor. A detailed phase diagram is produced and the consequences of the minimal interference are discussed.     

Investigation of superconductivity and magnetism in ceramic YBa2Cu3O6+x

In this work the magnetic and superconducting properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x , ceramic samples are studied with regard to there preparations technology and oxygen content. It is shown that at 0.41≤x≤0.45 the magnetic and superconducting states coexist.     

Impurities and quantum interference in the chains of YBa2Cu3O6+x

Motivated by recent experiments, we study the electronic structure near impurities in the chains of YBa2Cu3O6+x. Using a model of proximity induced chain superconductivity, we show that a resonance state in the chain density of states is induced only by a magnetic impurity. The spatial form of the resonance reflects the particle-hole nature of chain superconductivity and therefore distinguishes it from other broken symmetry phases. Because of quantum interference effects between impurities, the chains can undergo a quantum phase transition into a polarized state.     

Anomalies of the electronic spin-lattice relaxation of Gd3+ in YBa2Cu4O8 and YBa2Cu3O6+x near 200 K

A sharp kink in the temperature dependence of the electronic spin-lattice relaxation rate near 200 K was found in the high-temperature superconductors YBa₂Cu₄O₈ and YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x . The effect is correlated with opening of a spin gap and microscopic phase separation. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 8, 567–572 (25 April 1999)     

Polar Kerr-effect measurements of the high-temperature YBa2Cu3O6+x superconductor: evidence for broken symmetry near the pseudogap temperature

The polar Kerr effect in the high-T_(c) superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x was measured at zero magnetic field with high precision using a cyogenic Sagnac fiber interferometer. We observed nonzero Kerr rotations of order approximately 1 microrad appearing near the pseudogap temperature T(*) and marking what appears to be a true phase transition. Anomalous magnetic behavior in magnetic-field training of the effect suggests that time reversal symmetry is already broken above room temperature.     

Recent progress on neutron studies of YBa2Cu3O6+x

A review is given of recent developments in inelastic neutron scattering experiments on the high temperature superconductor YBa_2Cu_3O_7 and its antiferromagnetic precursor YBa_2Cu_3O_6.2. These include the detection of high energy “optical” spin waves and the determination of the full spin Hamiltonian in YBa_2Cu_3O_6.2, a detailed study of the 40 meV magnetic resonance peak in the superconducting state of YBa_2Cu_3O_7, and experiments on the effect of superconductivity on phonon lifetimes in YBa_2Cu_3O_7. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cu chemistry of YBa2Cu3O6+x investigated by nuclear quadrupole resonance

The nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) technique has been utilized to characterize the local oxygen coordination of inequivalent Cu sites in YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x(0 ≤ x ≤ 0.91). Essentially, four distinct NQR lines which correspond to 2, 3,4 oxygen coordinated Cu sites in the Cu-O chains and 5 oxygen coordinated Cu sites in the Cu-O planes have been observed. The zero-field NQR frequencies of these are centered at about 30.1, 24.0, 22.0 and 31.5 MHz for ⁶³Cu, respectively. For the antiferromagnetic ordered state (x ≤ 0.3), antiferromagnetic nuclear resonance (AFNR) has been observed at 90 MHz with quadrupole splittings associated with the moment-bearing Cu sites in the Cu-O planes. The relative intensities of these resonance lines depend on the oxygen content, and this gives us a microscopic understanding of the Cu chemistry of this system.