Proof of bulk charge ordering in the CuO$_2$ plane of the cuprate superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.9}$ by high pressure NMR

Abstract

Cuprate superconductors still hold many open questions, in particular concerning their normal state properties, including the role of charge ordering. Nuclear magnetic resonance on $^{63,65}$Cu and $^{17}$O in the CuO$_2$ plane is a very sensitive bulk probe of charge variations, but not properly understood. Since early NMR, the oxygen satellite line splittings in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+y}$ were attributed to the orthorhombic distortion, while they could also be due to charge ordering. We employ high pressure NMR on YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.9}$ hoping that charge order would respond to pressure differently than the chemical lattice. That is what we find, and we prove the existence of charge ordering even at ambient conditions. As pressure increases we can follow its local symmetry and amplitude as function temperature. Our finding differ from what has been reported with other techniques so far, but also show similarities that will be discussed. We also offer evidence from literature NMR data that this charge ordering is ubiquitous to the CuO$_2$ plane.