Effect of asymmetry of CuO2 layers in copper oxides on the anomalous neutron scattering near Tc

Reasons for critical magnetic scattering of neutrons near Tc in copper oxides with CuO2 layers whose nearest environment has no "updown'' symmetry are discussed. The intracrystalline electric field, which threads the CuO2 planes on account of the asymmetry, induces coupling between the spin and momentum of the current carriers. This coupling is shown to result in a manifestation of virtual Cooper pairs in the imaginary part of the spin susceptibility. Thus spin density fluctuations as well as current fluctuations should participate in the scattering. A way of experimentally distinguishing between the two mechanisms is pointed out. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-3640(99)00605-2].