Unconventional $^{17}$O and $^{63}$Cu NMR shift components in cuprate superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex NMR shift components in cuprate superconductors, revealing a two-component scenario for oxygen shifts that impacts understanding of electronic properties and pairing mechanisms.

Contribution

It demonstrates that planar $^{17}$O NMR shifts require a two-component interpretation, supporting previous findings and highlighting a persistent negative spin polarization in the superconducting state.

Findings

Planar $^{17}$O NMR shifts indicate a two-component scenario.

Negative spin polarization persists in the superconducting state.

Results support a complex electronic structure with implications for pairing mechanisms.

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a fundamental bulk probe that provides key information about the electronic properties of materials. Very recently, the analysis of all available planar copper shift as well as relaxation data proved that while the shifts cannot be understood in terms of a single temperature dependent spin component, relaxation can be explained with one dominating Fermi liquid-like component, without enhanced electronic spin fluctuations. For the shifts, a doping dependent isotropic term, as well as doping independent anisotropic term became obvious. Here we focus on planar $^{17}$O NMR shifts and quadrupole splittings. Surprisingly, we find that they demand, independently, a similar two-component scenario and confirm most of the previous conclusions concerning the properties of the spin components, in particular that a negative spin polarization survives in the superconducting state. This should have consequences for the pairing scenario.