μSR in oxygen deficient YBa₂Cu₃O_x (6.5≤x≤7.0)

A systematic μSR study of the local magnetic field distribution in a series of oxygen deficient YBa2Cu3Ox samples with 6.5≤x≤7.0 is reported. Special attention was given to perform the experiments under the same conditions, so that the oxygen content of the measured samples was the only parameter varied. The behavior of the depolarization rate σ as a function of the oxygen content x was found to have strong similarities with the behavior of the critical temperature Tc as a function of x. In particular, two step-like increases of σ were observed above x=6.7 and 6.9. The temperature dependence of the normalized depolarization rate σ(T)/σ(0) is well described by the two-fluid model for x≥6.781(1) and clearly deviates from this behavior for x≤6.704(1). Our results are compared to those obtained by other groups. © 1990 J.C. Baltzer A.G. Scientific Publishing Company.