Analysis of NMR data on cuprate superconductors based on calculated hyperfine coupling energies

Spin susceptibilities are derived from measured spin shifts at the planar c opper and oxygen sites in La1.85Sr0.15CoO4 and YBa2Cu3O7 using values for t he nuclear hyperfine coupling parameters that have been obtained with the h elp of first-principles cluster calculations. The calculated hyperfine fiel d at the oxygen site is effectively determined by just the two nearest neig hbor copper ions which implies that the nuclei experience locally commensur ate antiferromagnetic fluctuations. Therefore we have recalculated the temp erature dependencies of the spin-lattice relaxation data. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.