Effects of Zn substitution on magnetic properties and superconductivity inLa2-xSrxCuO4

In La2-xSrxCu1-yZnyO4, the superconductivity is locally suppressed through the disturbance of Cu 3d(x2-y2)-spin correlation around each Zn site. The s eriously suppressed region of the superconductivity extends over the antife rromagnetic correlation length xi(AF) around each Zn. The suppressed region shrinks with x because xi(AF) decreases with x, and probably, its size bec omes much smaller than the superconducting correlation length xi(s) in x = 0.22 samples. In the x = 0.22 samples, the Zn substitution effect on the su perconductivity can be described phenomenologically by the theory for a d-w ave superconductor with the strong scattering centers in the unitarity limi t. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All nights reserved.