  We report a first experimental evidence that a vortex in the high temperature
superconductors (HTSC) traps a finite electric charge from the high resolution
measurements of the nuclear quadrupole frequencies. In slightly overdoped
YBa_2Cu_3O_7 the vortex is negatively charged by trapping electrons, while in
underdoped YBa_2Cu_4O_8 it is positively charged by expelling electrons. The
sign of the trapped charge is opposite to the sign predicted by the
conventional BCS theory. Moreover, in both materials, the deviation of the
magnitude of the charge from the theory is also significant. These unexpected
features can be attributed to the novel electronic structure of the vortex in
HTSC.
