We report $^{ 139}$La and $^{ 63}$Cu nuclear magnetic and quadrupole resonance (NMR/NQR) studies in an underdoped La$_{ 1.93}$Sr$_{ 0.07}$CuO$_4$ single crystal, focusing on the $^{ 139}$La NMR in the normal state. We demonstrate that the local structural distortions in the low-temperature orthorhombic structure cause the tilting of the direction of the electric field gradient (EFG) at the nuclei from the c axis, resulting in two NMR central transition spectra at both the $^{ 139}$La and $^{ 63}$Cu nuclei in an external field. Taking into account the tilt angle of the EFG, the temperature dependence of the $^{ 139}$La spectra allowed us to determine the $^{ 139}$La Knight shift and the structural order parameter. The angle and temperature dependence of the $^{ 139}$La spectrum is in perfect agreement with the macroscopic average structure and proves a displacive transition. The $^{ 139}$La nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates, $T_1^{ -1}$, suggest that La$_{ 1.93}$Sr$_{ 0.07}$CuO$_4$ undergoes a gradual change to a temperature-independent paramagnetic regime in the high temperature region. Both the spectra and $T_1^{ -1}$ of the $^{ 139}$La as a function of temperature reveal a sharp anomaly around $T_S=387(1)$ K, implying a first-order-like structural transition, and a dramatic change below ~70 K arising from collective glassy spin freezing.
Categories: cond-mat.supr-con