Anomalous Temperature Dependence of Spin Susceptibility around a Nonmagnetic Impurity in High-Tc Cuprate Superconductors

Abstract

Local magnetic properties around a nonmagnetic impurity are investigated in high-Tc cuprate superconductors. We consider a model two-dimensional d-wave superconductor with strong antiferromagnetic (AF) spin fluctuations and calculate the spin susceptibility around the impurity. We show that the uniform susceptibility, which is usually suppressed in spin-singlet superconductivity, is enhanced at low temperatures around the impurity when the impurity scattering is in the unitarity limit. This anomalous behavior is more remarkable when the impurity potential is extended spatially and the AF spin fluctuations are stronger. As the origin of this phenomenon, we point out the importance of (1) a low-energy bound state around the impurity and (2) a mode-mode coupling effect which connects the AF spin fluctuations with the uniform susceptibility. Our results can explain the anomalous temperature dependence of the Knight shift on Li which was recently observed in YBa_2(Cu_{1-x}Li_x$)_3O_{6+y}.