Planar Cu and O NMR and the Pseudogap of Cuprate Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper analyzes planar Cu and O NMR data in cuprate superconductors, revealing a universal metallic density of states with a doping-dependent pseudogap, and discusses implications for understanding the pseudogap and spin components.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive, unbiased assessment of Cu and O NMR data, highlighting the role of a common density of states and pseudogap, and introduces the need for a second spin component to explain Cu shift anisotropy.

Findings

Planar O data can be explained by a doping-dependent pseudogap in a universal density of states.

Planar Cu shifts largely follow from the same states and pseudogap, explaining shift suppression.

A second spin component associated with Cu 3d(x^2-y^2) holes is needed to explain Cu shift anisotropy.

Abstract

Recently, an analysis of all available planar oxygen shift and relaxation data for the cuprate high-temperature superconductors showed that the data can be understood with a simple spin susceptibility from a metallic density of states common to all cuprates. It carries a doping dependent but temperature independent pseudogap at the Fermi surface, which causes the deviations from normal metallic behavior, also in the specific heat. Here, a more coherent, unbiased assessment of all data, including planar Cu, is presented and consequences are discussed, since the planar Cu data were collected and analyzed prior to the O data. The main finding is that the planar Cu shifts for one direction of the external magnetic field largely follow from the same states and pseudogap. This explains the shift suppression stated more recently, which leads to the failure of the Korringa relation in contrast to an enhancement of the relaxation due to antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations originally proposed. However, there is still the need for a second spin component that appears to be associated with the Cu $3d(x^2-y^2)$ hole to explain the complex Cu shift anisotropy and family dependence. Furthermore, it is argued that the planar Cu relaxation which was reported recently to be rather ubiquitous for the cuprates, must be related to this universal density of states and the second spin component, while not being affected by the simple pseudogap. Thus, while this universal metallic density of states with a pseudogap is also found in the planar Cu data, there is still need for a more elaborate scenario that eludes planar O.