Dynamics of the Local Moment Induced by Nonmagnetic Defects in Cuprates

We present a study of the spin dynamics of magnetic defects induced by Li substitution of the plane Cu in the normal state of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$. The fluctuations of the coupled Cu magnetic moments in the vicinity of Li are probed by near-neighbour $^{89}$Y {\it and} $^7$Li NMR spin lattice relaxation. The data indicates that the magnetic perturbation fluctuates as a single entity with a correlation time $\tau$ which scales with the local static susceptibility. This behaviour is reminiscent of the low $T$ Kondo state of magnetic impurities in conventional metals. Surprisingly it extends well above the ``Kondo'' temperature for the underdoped pseudogapped case.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures (same), major modifications to text, accepted in PR

Non-magnetic impurities in two- and three- dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets

In this paper we study in a large-S expansion effects of substituting spins by non-magnetic impurities in two- and three- dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets in a weak magnetic field. In particular, we demonstrate a novel mechanism where magnetic moments are induced around non-magnetic impurities when magnetic field is present. As a result, Curie-type behaviour in magnetic susceptibility can be observed well below the Neel temperature, in agreement with what is being observed in $La_2Cu_{1-x}Zn_{x}O_4$ and $Sr(Cu_{1-x}Zn_x)_2O_3$ compounds.Comment: Latex fil

Phase segregation in NaxCoO2 for large Na contents

We have investigated a set of sodium cobaltates (NaxCoO2) samples with various sodium content (0.67 \le x \le 0.75) using Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR). The four different stable phases and an intermediate one have been recognized. The NQR spectra of 59Co allowed us to clearly differentiate the pure phase samples which could be easily distinguished from multi-phase samples. Moreover, we have found that keeping samples at room temperature in contact with humid air leads to destruction of the phase purity and loss of sodium content. The high sodium content sample evolves progressively into a mixture of the detected stable phases until it reaches the x=2/3 composition which appears to be the most stable phase in this part of phase diagram.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Universal sheet resistance and revised phase diagram of the cuprate high-temperature superconductors

Upon introducing charge carriers into the copper-oxygen sheets of the enigmatic lamellar cuprates the ground state evolves from an insulator into a superconductor, and eventually into a seemingly conventional metal (a Fermi liquid). Much has remained elusive about the nature of this evolution and about the peculiar metallic state at intermediate hole-carrier concentrations (p). The planar resistivity of this unconventional metal exhibits a linear temperature dependence (\rho $\propto$ T) that is disrupted upon cooling toward the superconducting state by the opening of a partial gap (the pseudogap) on the Fermi surface. Here we first demonstrate for the quintessential compound HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+\delta}$ a dramatic switch from linear to purely quadratic (Fermi-liquid-like, \rho $\propto$ T$^2$) resistive behavior in the pseudogap regime. Despite the considerable variation in crystal structures and disorder among different compounds, our result together with prior work gives new insight into the p-T phase diagram and reveals the fundamental resistance per copper-oxygen sheet in both linear (\rho_S = A_{1S} T) and quadratic (\rho_S = A_{2S} T$^2$) regimes, with A_{1S} $\propto$ A_{2S} $\propto$ 1/p. Theoretical models can now be benchmarked against this remarkably simple universal behavior. Deviations from this underlying behavior can be expected to lead to new insights into the non-universal features exhibited by certain compounds

Muon-spin-rotation study of the effect of Zn substitution on magnetism in YBa2Cu3Ox

The magnetic properties of YBa2(Cu0.96Zn0.04)3Ox were studied in detail by means of muon spin rotation and relaxation for 6.0≤x≤6.92. The complete magnetic phase diagram was mapped out and a disordered magnetic state was found to persist between x=6.4 and x≃6.7 (metallic transition), in contrast with pure YBa2Cu3Ox. The appearance of this magnetic state is attributed to the effect of Zn on the doped hole dynamics and might be associated with the freezing of local moments due to Zn (6.43≤x≤6.88), which were also detected here, in the paramagnetic state

Zn-doping effect on the magnetotransport properties of Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}CuO_{6+\delta} single crystals

We report the magnetotransport properties of Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_{x}Cu_{1-z}Zn_{z}O_{6+\delta} (Zn-doped BSLCO) single crystals with z of up to 2.2%. Besides the typical Zn-doping effects on the in-plane resistivity and the Hall angle, we demonstrate that the nature of the low-temperature normal state in the Zn-doped samples is significantly altered from that in the pristine samples under high magnetic fields. In particular, we observe nearly-isotropic negative magnetoresistance as well as an increase in the Hall coefficient at very low temperatures in non-superconducting Zn-doped samples, which we propose to be caused by the Kondo scattering from the local moments induced by Zn impurities.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, final version (one reference added), published in Phys. Rev.

Charge Localization from Local Destruction of Antiferromagnetic Correlation in Zn-doped YBa2Cu3O7-d

The in-plane normal-state resistivity of Zn-doped YBa2Cu3O7-d single crystals is measured down to low temperatures by suppressing superconductivity with magnetic fields up to 18 T. Substitution of Cu with Zn in the CuO2 planes is found to induce carrier localization at low temperatures in "clean" samples with kF l > 5, where the mean free path l is larger than the electron wave length and thus localization is not normally expected. The destruction of the local antiferromagnetic correlation among Cu spins by Zn is discussed to be the possible origin of this unusual charge localization.Comment: 4 pages of LaTeX (revtex and epsf) including 4 postscript figure

Detection by NMR of a "local spin-gap" in quenched CsC60

We present a 13C and 133Cs NMR investigation of the CsC60 cubic quenched phase. Previous ESR measurements suggest that this phase is metallic, but NMR reveals contrasting electronic behavior on the local scale. The 13C spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) exhibits a typical metallic behavior down to 50 K, but indicates that a partial spin-gap opens for T<50 K. Unexpectedly, 133Cs NMR shows that there are two inequivalent Cs sites. For one of these sites, the NMR shift and (T1T)^{-1} follow an activated law, confirming the existence of a spin-gap. We ascribe this spin-gap to the occurrence of localized spin-singlets on a small fraction of the C60 molecules.Comment: 4 figure