Antiferromagnetic phase transition in four-layered high-T_c superconductors Ba_2Ca_3Cu_4O_8(F_yO_{1-y})_2 with T_c=55-102 K: Cu- and F-NMR studies

TL;DR

This study investigates the antiferromagnetic phase transition in four-layered high-T_c superconductors using Cu- and F-NMR, revealing coexistence with superconductivity and how interlayer coupling affects the quantum critical point.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic properties and phase transitions of four-layered cuprate superconductors, highlighting differences from five-layered compounds.

Findings

Antiferromagnetic order coexists with superconductivity up to N_h=0.15

Quantum critical point shifts to lower carrier density in four-layered compounds

Interlayer magnetic coupling weakens with fewer CuO_2 layers

Abstract

We report on magnetic characteristics in four-layered high-T_c superconductors Ba_2Ca_3Cu_4O_8(F_yO_{1-y})_2 with apical fluorine through Cu- and F-NMR measurements. The substitution of oxygen for fluorine at the apical site increases the carrier density (N_h) and T_c from 55 K up to 102 K. The NMR measurements reveal that antiferromagnetic order, which can uniformly coexist with superconductivity, exists up to N_h = 0.15, which is somewhat smaller than N_h = 0.17 being the quantum critical point (QCP) for five-layered compounds. The fact that the QCP for the four-layered compounds moves to a region of lower carrier density than for five-layered ones ensures that the decrease in the number of CuO_2 layers makes an interlayer magnetic coupling weaker.