NMR and spin-lattice relaxation rate of89Y,63Cu in radiation disordered YBa2Cu3O6.9

NMR line shifts and spin-lattice relaxation rates of⁸⁹Y and⁶³Cu in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.9 were measured in disordered samples irradiated by fast neutrons with a fluence of: ?=5·10¹⁸ cm^?2 (T _c ^ons =70 K), ?=1.2·10¹⁹ cm^?2 (T _c ^ons =20 K), in order to investigate the evolution of spin susceptibility χ_S under irradiation. According to the data obtained, χ_S decreases markedly as structural disorder accumulates in the samples. The variation of χ_S is related closely to that observed in oxygen-depleted YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ compounds with nearly the sameT _c value. The data for yttrium display some features that are absent in oxygen-depleted samples. The different temperature dependence of the⁸⁹Y and⁶³Cu Knight shifts and the increase of the⁸⁹Y spin-lattice relaxation rate in irradiated samples are discussed in terms of the electron localization effects arising in the CuO₂ planes due to the radiation-induced structural disorder.     

Cu nuclear spin-spin relaxation in YBa2Cu3O6.98 and YBa2Cu4O8

We have measured the temperature (T) dependence of the transverse relaxation rate (T _G ^–1 ) of the Cu(1) nuclear spin in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.98 (T _c=92 K) and YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (T _c=82 K). From the scaling ratio ofT _G ^–2 (Cu1) toT _G ^–2 (Cu2), we have estimated the strength of a covalent bonding between the CuO₂ plane and the CuO chain to be B0.38×A _zz. The experimentalT _G ^–1 (Cu1) in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ was of the same order of magnitude as the estimated one fromT _G ^–1 (Cu2). These results appear to indicate that the electrons in the CuO₂ plane fairly spread out of the plane in both compounds.     

Coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order in YBa2Cu4O8

⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility and powder x-ray-diffraction measurements were used to study superconductivity and magnetic order in YBa₂(Cu_1?xFe_x)₄O_8+δ. T_c is decreasing with x, disappearing for x>x_c≈0.04. For xc iron substitutes Cu, predominantly in the Cu(1) site exhibiting a single quadrupole Mössbauer spectrum at 90 K. For x>x_c magnetic order is observed in the Cu(2) site, T_N=380 (5) K for x=0.1 and H_eff (Cu(2), 4.2 K)=510(2) kOe. However, the most surprising discovery is that for x=0.025, for which T_c=27(2) K, the Fe in the Cu(1) site orders magnetically at T_N=30(2) K and H_eff (Cu(1), 4.2 K)=461(2) kOe. The coexistence and competition between superconductivity and magnetic order in the Cu(1) and Cu(2) sites in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ are discussed in terms of the previously observed phase diagrams for Y_1?xPr_xBa₂(Cu_1?yFe_y)₃O_z.     

Effect of uniaxial stress on T c and the van Hove scenario in YBa2Cu3O7

The effect of uniaxial stress on T _c in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ is studied within the van Hove scenario including the interlayer coupling (3D effects). The uniaxial pressure along the a or b axis changes the in-plane anisotropy, and that along the c axis increases the interlayer coupling. Both of them change the averaged density of states and so T _c in the framework of the BCS theory. The latter effect on T _c is found to be small compared with the former, which can account for the uniaxial pressure experiment of YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

63Cu and17O NMR studies on the magnetic and superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7−y

Results of⁶³Cu and¹⁷O NMR experiments in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and YBa₂Cu₃O_6.63 are reviewed. The normal state data revealed two important aspects of the magnetic properties of these materials, namely, the temperature dependent antiferromagnetic Cu spin correlations and the spin gap behavior, the latter being observed in the reduced oxygen material. These features appear to be the general properties of many high-T _c cuprates. Anomalous temperature dependence of the anisotropy of the Cu relaxation rate was found in the superconducting state of YBa₂Cu₃O₇, which can be explained by a d-wave pairing model.     

Oxygen isotope effect in high-T C superconductors: Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance relaxation rates

A scaling relationship has been observed between the⁶³Cu(2) spin-lattice relaxation rates 1/T ₁,(18) and 1/T ₁(16) observed in¹⁸O- and¹⁶O-exchanged YBa₂Cu₄O₈ and the normalized temperatureT/T _c(18 or 16). This relation implies thatT _C is decreased by the change in antiferromagnetic (AF) spin fluctuation rate. Thus oxygen isotope effect observed in high-T _C superconductors does not indicate any importance of electron-phonon interaction but it appears to originate from the change in AF fluctuations.     

Spin susceptibility of neutron-irradiation-disordered YBa2Cu3O6.9 in the normal and superconducting states

The spin-spin relaxation rate ⁶³ T ₂ ⁻¹ of ⁶³Cu nuclei in CuO₂ layers is measured in the normal and superconducting states of the compound YBa₂Cu₃O_6.9 (T _c ^onset =94 K) subjected to radiation-induced disordering by a fast-neutron flux Φ to T _c ^onset =68 K (Φ=7×10¹⁸ cm⁻²) and T _c ^onset <4 K (Φ=12×10¹⁸ cm⁻²). It is found that as the structural disorder increases, the contribution of the indirect spin-spin interaction ⁶³ T _2G ⁻¹ , which is related to the value of the spin susceptibility at the boundary of the Brillouin zone of the copper planes χ_s(q={π/a; π/a}), decreases slightly at the transition to the superconducting state for the initial sample and remains unchanged for the weakly disordered sample. This behavior of the short-wavelength contribution to the spin susceptibility attests to the stability of the x ²−y ² symmetry of the energy gap against structural disorder, in accordance with proposed theoretical models of Cooper pairing for high-T _c cuprates. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 3, 172–177 (10 February 1998)     

Comparing Y−Ba−Cu−O superconductors by Cu,O and Ba NMR/NQR

This paper discusses various NMR/NQR studies performed by the resonance group at the Physik-Institut on the structurally related compounds YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and YBa₂Cu₄O₈. Employing different isotopes and comparing similar measurements offers the possibility to gain new insights into these compounds. The discussion addresses the following topics: Electric field gradients and their temperature and pressure dependence;T _c enhancement by Ca doping; Cu and O Knight shifts; Ba relaxation. The wide range of applicability of the resonance methods in superconductivity research is demonstrated.     

NMR and NQR studies of spin dynamics and superconductivity in High-T c oxides

The magnetic and superconducting properties in the high-T _c cuprates have been investigated over a wide hole doping range by⁶³Cu,¹⁷O and²⁰⁵Tl NMR and NQR in the lightly-doped La_2?xSr_xCuO₄ (LSCO), the heavily-doped Tl₂Ba₂CuO_6+y (TBCO) and the Zn-doped YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO₇). In low doping region, the large antiferromagnetic (AF) spin correlation around the zone boundary (q=Q) causes the Curie-Weiss behavior of⁶³(1/T ₁ T) associated with that of the staggered susceptibility χ_O(T) in LSCO. In the vicinity of the hole content whereT _c has a peak, the AF spin correlation still survives, although the magnetic coherence length ξ_M is considerably short being presumably (ξ_M/a) ～ 1. The further doping destroys progressively the AF spin correlation, which is no longer present is non-superconducting TBCO compounds. These NMR evidences signify that there is an intimate relation between the presence of the AF spin correlation and the onset of the superconductivity. The local collapse of AF spin correlation is a primary cause for the unexpected strong reduction ofT _c in case of the substitution of Zn impurities into the CuO₂ plane. The superconducting properties clarified by NMR experiments cannot be accounted for by the conventional BCS model or other isotropic s-wave models. A d-wave model is applicable in interpreting consistently most of the NMR results, if the finite density of states at the Fermi level is taken into consideration and is associated with the pair breaking effect. There are increasing evidences that the magnetic mechanism for the superconductivity is promising in high-T _c cuprates.     

Contributions of Spin–Lattice Relaxation to the Echo Decay of Planar Cu in High-Temperature Superconductors

Measurement ofT_2G, the Gaussian component of the spin-echo envelope of planar Cu nuclei in high-temperature superconductors, gives important information about the real part of the Cu electron spin susceptibility. In the traditional picture of the planar Cu echo decay, the internuclear coupling is assumed to remain static with respect to spin–lattice relaxation and mutual exchange fluctuations. In some circumstances, however, this assumption breaks down. We calculate the internuclear corrections arising from spin–lattice relaxation to the conventional theory ofT_2Gand show thatT_2Gcan be easily corrected for these effects. We argue that mutual exchanges due to the perpendicular indirect couplings are suppressed in these materials. For YBa₂Cu₄O₈, we find a correction on the order of 10% inT_2Gand using the corrected values we find that the isotope ratio⁶³T_2G/⁶⁵T_2Gagrees with theory.     

Superconductivity and magnetic order in RBa2Cu3Oz

Mössbauer studies of⁵⁷Fe in RBa_2?y K _y (Cu_1?x Fe _x )₃O_z, with R=Y and Pr;y=0 and 0.5;x=0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 andz between 5.9 and 7.1, have been performed. A minority of the iron ions enter the Cu(2) site and reveal its magnetic order. In nonsuperconducting YBa_1.5K_0.5(Cu_0.95Fe_0.05)₃O_6.1 two distinctly inequivalent magnetic iron sites are observed, probably corresponding to iron in the Cu(2) site with different Ba?K neighbours. In superconducting (T _c =60 K) YBa_1.5K_0.5(Cu_0.95Fe_0.05)₃O_6.5 one Cu(2) subsite remains magnetic (T _N=440 K). The implications of these findings on the valencies of the Cu ions are discussed.     

Spectral features of laser induced plasma from YBa2Cu3O7 and GdBa2Cu3O7 highT c superconductors

Laser induced plasma emission spectra from highT _c superconducting samples of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and GdBa₂Cu₃O₇ obtained with 1.06μm radiation from a Q switched Nd:YAG laser beam has been analysed. The results clearly show the presence of diatomic oxides in addition to ionized species of the constituent metals in the plasma thus produced.     

Magnetic phase present in YBa2(Cu1−x Fe x )3O6+δ oxides

The Mössbauer study of⁵⁷Fe: YBa₂Cu₃O_6+δ oxides was very important to establish the preferential occupation of Cu(1) site by Fe at very low concentrations. Recent determination of antiferromagnetic ordering for Cu moments in Cu(2) sites (T≈450 K) and our early observation of a small proportion of a magnetic phase at room temperature for Fe:YBa₂Cu₃O₆ lead us to perform systematic studies of YBa₂(Cu_1?x Fe _x )₃O₆ withx=0.005, 0.03, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 in order to obtain information about the iron occupation of Cu(2) sites.     

Pressure effect onT c and resistivity: Localization in YBa2Cu3O x oxides

We have studied the effect of hydrostatic pressures up to 20 Kbar on the temperature dependence of the resistivity (T) and the effect of quasihydrostatic pressure up to 200 Kbar on the lattice parameters of YBa₂Cu₃O _x for different oxygen concentrations (x=6.95–6.2). Pressure produces a decrease of resistivity in normal state, an increase ofT _c , and a suppression of semiconducting-like resistivity (T) at lowx. The dependence of dT _c (x)/dP onx is nonmonotonic; the record values of dT _c /dP=(1.0±0.1) K/Kbar are observed forx=6.7 and 6.8. The derivative dln/dP atT=293 K differs by the factor 1.8 between superconducting and nonsuperconducting compounds. The compressibility and its pressure derivative alonga, b andc-directions in YBa₂Cu₃O _x have been determined. The most remarkable variation is alongc-direction. A nonmonotonic dependence of dk _c (x)/dP onx has been observed.The results are discussed in the context of localized effects in disordered oxygen-deficient YBa₂Cu₃O _x .     

Spin crossover in the magnetic phase transition in YBa2(Cu1−x Fex)3O7±δ superconductors

All iron ions in the Cu1 and Cu2 local lattice sites of the YBa₂(Cu_0.9 ⁵⁷Fe_0.1)₃O_7.01 superconductor with T _c=31 K experienced magnetic ordering below T _m=22 K. Therefore, at T < T _m, magnetic ordering coexisted with superconductivity. According to the Mössbauer spectroscopy data, iron ions in Cu2 (Fe2) sites were in the low-spin state at T < T _m(S= 3/2 or 1/2), whereas an equal number of iron ions in Cu1 (Fe1) sites were in the high-spin Fe³⁺ state (S=5/2). The magnetic transition near T _m changed iron ion spin states-low-spin ions turned into high-spin ions, and vice versa. This preserved the spin balance between iron ions in the Cu1 and Cu2 layers. Control measurements on other samples of the YBa₂(Cu_{1? x} Fe_x)₃O_7±δ series substantiated these conclusions.     

Manifestation of pseudogap features in structurally inhomogeneous optimally doped HTSC YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6.92</Subscript>

Magnetization M(H,T) in magnetic fields H up to 90 kOe and at temperatures 2 K ≤ T < T _c (where Tc is the superconducting transition temperature), along with magnetic susceptibility χ(T) in the normal state T _c < T < 400 K for optimally oxygen-doped samples of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.92 with varying degrees of defects in the crystal structure, are studied to determine the influence of structural inhomogeneity on the electron systems characteristics of cuprate superconductors. It is shown that the existence of structural inhomogeneity of samples leads to the manifestation of peculiarities appropriate to pseudogap regime in their properties.     

Disordering effects in the atomic structure of fine-crystalline HTSC YBa2Cu3O y

The atomic structure of YBa₂Cu₃O _y fine-crystalline HTSC samples with various average crystallite sizes ??D?? ranging from 0.4 to 2 ??m and an oxygen concentration y close to the optimal value for superconductivity (y ?? 6.93) is investigated by the neutron diffraction technique. We have found some effects associated with the redistribution of cations and oxygen atoms and with variations in the positions of atomic layers in the unit cell, which are not observed in macrocrystalline samples. In all probability, these effects appear due to nonequilibrium conditions of synthesis required for obtaining this compound in the fine-crystalline state. The results have made it possible to explain the peculiar physical properties of fine-crystalline YBa₂Cu₃O _y samples (in particular, the coexistence of high superconducting transition temperatures T _c and noticeably lower values of magnetization in strong magnetic fields for T < T _c ). It is shown that a nanoscale structural inhomogeneity exists in fine-crystalline YBa₂Cu₃O _y samples with the optimal oxygen content and changes the fundamental superconducting parameters, viz., the magnetic field penetration depth and the coherence length.     

Electronic properties of YBa2Cu4O8 and Y2Ba4Cu7O15 as probed by NMR/NQR

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) allow the investigation of electronic properties at the atomic level. We will report on such studies in typical members of the Y-Ba-Cu-O family of high-temperature superconductors, namely YBa₂Cu₄O₈ and Y₂Ba₄Cu₇O₁₅. We will deal with temperature and orientational dependences of Cu and O Knight shifts and spin-lattice relaxation. Topics to be discussed are: (1) Existence of a common electronic spin-susceptibility (a single-spin fluid) in the planes and in the chains of YBa₂Cu₄O₈. (2) Evidence for the existence of a pseudo spin-gap in the anti-ferromagnetic fluctuations in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ and Y₂Ba₄Cu₇O₁₅. (3) Evidence for non-s symmetry of the pair wave function in YBa₂Cu₄O₈. (4) First NQR observation of a strong coupling of inequivalent Cu-O planes in Y₂Ba₄Cu₇O₁₅. (5) Alternative explanations of relaxation and Knight shift.     

NMR study of magnetic moments arising in superconducting cuprates under electron/neutron irradiation

The measurements of direct-current magnetic susceptibility and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were performed in the superconducting cuprates YBa₂Cu₃O_6.9 (⁸⁹Y,⁶³Cu), Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (¹⁷O,²⁰⁵Tl), irradiated by fast neutrons (E _n = 1 MeV) and electrons (E _e = 5 MeV). The influence of the radiation-induced structural disorder on the spin susceptibility and magnetic state of atoms in the CuO₂ layer is considered. The possible effect onT _c of the spin-exchange scattering of carriers by localized moments arising under irradiation was estimated following the Abrikosov-Gorkov approach and its contribution was found to be too small in comparison with the real suppression ofT _c under irradiation.