Magnetic susceptibility analysis on Zn-doping in the high $T_{c}$ superconductor YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7}$

Localized magnetic moments are known to destroy superconductivity in conventional superconductors. In the case of YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7}$ (YBCO), the nonmagnetic ion Zn has a very strong impact on suppressing the superconducting transition temperature ($T_{c})$. YBCO loses all superconductivity when only 10\% of the Cu is substituted with Zn.\footnote{R. E. Walstedt et al. Phys. Rev. B, \textbf{48}, 10646 (1993)} In this project, we have investigated the magnetic susceptibility for a number of Zn doping levels in samples with the nominal composition YBa$_{2}$(Cu$_{1-x}$Zn$_{x}$)$_{3}$O$_{7}$. We observe the development of Curie-Weiss paramagnetism for some Zn compositions, and will address whether the associated paramagnetic moments might cause magnetic pair-breaking.