63Cu nuclear magnetic resonance study of Pr(1.85)Ce(0.15)Cu(1-x)Ni(x)O(4): Ni-induced spin density oscillation and modification of the low energy spin fluctuations

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter Vol. 23; no. 7; p. 075701
• Main Authors: Williams, G V M, Jurkutat, M, Rybicki, D, Haase, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 23-02-2011
• Subjects: Copper - analysis; Electric Conductivity; Isotopes - analysis; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Metals - chemistry; Spin Labels
• ISSN: 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/7/075701

We report the results from a (63)Cu nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of the electron-doped high temperature superconducting cuprate (HTSC) Pr(1.85)Ce(0.15)Cu(1-x)Ni(x)O(4). We find that Ni induces a magnetic broadening of the (63)Cu NMR spectra that can be interpreted in terms of an induced spin density oscillation about the Ni site, similar to that reported from (63)Cu NMR measurements on the hole-doped HTSCs when Zn is partially substituted for Cu. There is also an additional temperature-dependent contribution to the (63)Cu spin-lattice relaxation rate that can be interpreted in terms of an Ni-induced modification of the low energy spin fluctuations. Furthermore, the spin fluctuations are intrinsically spatially inhomogeneous and additional inhomogeneities are induced by Ni.