RESUMO
High-temperature superconducting cuprates respond to doping with a dome-like dependence of their critical temperature (Tc). But the family-specific maximum Tc can be surpassed by application of pressure, a compelling observation known for decades. We investigate the phenomenon with high-pressure anvil cell NMR and measure the charge content at planar Cu and O, and with it the doping of the ubiquitous CuO2 plane with atomic-scale resolution. We find that pressure increases the overall hole doping, as widely assumed, but when it enhances Tc above what can be achieved by doping, pressure leads to a hole redistribution favoring planar O. This is similar to the observation that the family-specific maximum Tc is higher for materials where the hole content at planar O is higher at the expense of that at planar Cu. The latter reflects dependence of the maximum Tc on the Cu-O bond covalence and the charge-transfer gap. The results presented here indicate that the pressure-induced enhancement of the maximum Tc points to the same mechanism.
RESUMO
High-pressure anvil cell nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of single crystals are challenging, but they can offer much insight into material properties. A microcoil inside the high-pressure region that encloses the crystal offers a good signal-to-noise ratio, but special care has to be taken to warrant hydrostatic conditions or to avoid rupture of the crystal or coil. By introducing precise monitoring of the height and diameter of the pressurized sample chamber, this can be ensured, and the data reveal the behavior of the sample chamber under pressure. While its total volume is given by the compression of the enclosed pressure transmitting fluid, the aspect ratio of the cylindrical chamber changes considerably. 63Cu and 17O NMR of two differently doped single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7-δ at pressures of up to about 4.4 GPa show the function of the cell, and orientation dependent spectra prove the soundness of the arrangement.
