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The accurate control of the crystal phase in III-V semiconductor nanowires (NWs) is an important milestone for device applications. In this work, we present a method to select and maintain the wurtzite (WZ) crystal phase in self-assisted NWs. By choosing a specific regime where the NW growth process is a self-regulated system, the main experimental parameter to select the zinc-blende (ZB) or WZ phase is the V/III flux ratio. The latter can be monitored by changing the As flux, and drives the system toward a stationary regime when the wetting angle of the Ga droplet falls in a target interval, typically in the 90{\deg} - 125{\deg} range for the WZ phase growth. The analysis of the in situ RHEED evolution, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM), dark field transmission electron microscopy (DF-TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) data all confirm the control of an extended few micrometers long pure WZ segment obtained by MBE growth of self-assisted GaAs NWs with a V/III flux ratio of 4.0., Comment: 26 Pages, 11 figures

Using 23Na NMR measurements on sodium cobaltates at intermediate dopings (0.44<=x<=0.62), we establish the qualitative change of behavior of the local magnetic susceptibility at x*=0.63-0.65, from a low x Pauli-like regime to the high x Curie-Weiss regime. For 0.5<=x<=0.62, the presence of a maximum T* in the temperature dependence of the susceptibility shows the existence of an x-dependent energy scale. T_1 relaxation measurements establish the predominantly antiferromagnetic character of spin correlations for xx*. It is suggested that at a given x the ferromagnetic correlations might dominate the antiferromagnetic ones above T*. From 59Co NMR data, it is shown that moving towards higher x away from x=0.5 results in the progressive appearance of nonmagnetic Co3+ sites, breaking the homogeneity of Co states encountered for x<=0.5. The main features of the NMR-detected 59Co quadrupolar effects, together with indications from the powder x-ray diffraction data, lead us to sketch a possible structural origin for the Co3+ sites. In light of this ensemble of new experimental observations, a new phase diagram is proposed, taking into account the systematic presence of correlations and their x-dependence., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures

We have synthesized and characterized four different stable phases of Na ordered Na$_{x}$CoO$_{2}$, for $0.65

We have synthesized and characterized the four different stable phases of Na ordered Na$_{x}$CoO$_{2}$, for $0.65

MuSR experiments have been performed on powder sample of the "ordered spin ice" Tb$_2$Sn$_2$O$_7$ pyrochlore compound. At base temperature (T=35mK) the muon relaxation is found to be of dynamical nature which demonstrates that strong fluctuations persist below the ferromagnetic transition (T_C=0.87K). Hints of long range order appear as oscillations of the muon polarization when an external field is applied and also as a hysteretic behavior below T_C. We propose a dynamical and strongly correlated scenario where dynamics results from fluctuation of large spin clusters with the "ordered spin ice" structure., Comment: Submitted to PRL

Co and Na NMR are used to probe the local susceptibility and charge state of the two Co sites of the Na-ordered orthorhombic Na0.5CoO2. Above T_N=86K, both sites display a similar T-dependence of the spin shift, suggesting that there is no charge segregation into Co3+ and Co4+ sites. Below T_N, the magnetic long range commensurate order found is only slightly affected by the metal-insulator transition (MIT) at T_MIT=51K. Furthermore, the electric field gradient at the Co site does not change at these transitions, indicating the absence of charge ordering. All these observations can be explained by successive SDW induced by two nestings of the Fermi Surface specific to the x=0.5 Na-ordering., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Macroscopic magnetization, muon spin rotation (muSR), and NMR measurements were carried out to study magnetism in the Na1CoO2 cobaltate. Using SQUID measurements, Na1CoO2 is shown to have a bulk magnetic susceptibility much lower and flatter than that of NaxCoO2 with x=0.7-0.9. In fact, muSR yields a signal of mostly nonmagnetic origin, which is attributed to the x=1 phase. The intrinsic cobalt spin susceptibility corresponding to this x=1 phase is measured using Na NMR. It is indeed found to be almost zero, in agreement with a low-spin 3+ charge state of all cobalt atoms. This single state of Co ions in CoO2 planes is confirmed by Co NMR, whose determination of cobalt shift and quadrupolar parameters allows us to give a reference value of the Co3+ orbital shift in cobaltates., Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX ; v2: corrected typos, minor additions

$^{59}$Co NMR spectra in oriented powders of Na$_{0.35}$CoO$_{2}$ and in its hydrated superconducting phase (HSC) Na$_{0.35}$CoO$_{2}$,1.3H$_{2}$O reveal a single electronic Co state with identical $T$ independent NMR shift tensor. These phases differ markedly from Na$_{0.7}$CoO$_{2}$, in which we resolve 3 types of Co sites. The large T variation of their spin susceptibilities $\chi ^{s}$ and the anisotropy of the orbital susceptibility $\chi ^{orb}$ allow us to conclude that charge disproportionation occurs, in a non magnetic Co$^{3+}$ and two magnetic sites with about 0.3 and 0.7 holes in the $t_{2g}$ multiplet. The data are consistent with those for the single Co site in the anhydrous and HSC phase assuming the expected Co$^{3.65+}$ charge., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

Oxygen NMR is used to probe the local influence of nonmagnetic Zn and magnetic Ni impurities in the superconducting state of optimally doped high Tc YBa2Cu3O7. Zn and Ni induce a staggered paramagnetic polarization, similar to that evidenced above Tc, with a typical extension xi=3 cell units for Zn and xi>=3 for Ni. In addition, Zn is observed to induce a local density of states near the Fermi Energy in its neighbourhood, which also decays over about 3 cell units. Its magnitude decreases sharply with increasing temperature. This allows direct comparison with the STM observations done in BiSCO., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

Using muon spin rotation, well-defined bulk ~ 100% magnetic phases in NaxCoO2 are revealed. A novel magnetic phase is detected for x = 0.85 with the highest transition temperature ever observed for x >= 0.75. This stresses the diversity of x >=0.75 magnetic phases and the link between magnetic and structural degrees of freedom. For the charge-ordered x = 0.50 compound, a cascade of transitions is observed below 85 K. From a detailed analysis of our data, we conclude that the ordered moment varies continuously with temperature and suggest that the two secondary transitions at 48 K and 29 K correspond to a moderate reorientation of antiferromagnetically coupled moments., Comment: Sumitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., 1 Oct 2004, revised version

We present $\mu$SR experiments in the $S=3/2$ kagome bilayer compound Ba$_{2}$Sn$_{2}$ZnGa$_{10-7p}$Cr$_{7p}$O$_{22}$ (BSZCGO$(p)$) and compare it to the isostructural SrCr$_{9p}$Ga$_{12-9p}$O$_{19}$ (SCGO$(p)$), including for the latter new results for $p\geq0.89$. Quantum-dynamical low energy magnetic excitations are evidenced in this novel compound. We study the evolution of the muon relaxation rate with $p$, $T$ and field. A phenomenological model for the muon relaxation based on sporadic dynamics due to spin excitations in a singlet sea proposed by Uemura \emph{et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{73}, 3306 (1994)]. is extended to all fields and $T$-range. Its connexion to the RVB picture is discussed, and we argue that such coherent states might mediate the interactions between "impurities" which induce the spin glass freezing., Comment: 4 figures, only minor changes as compared to previous version

We have compared by $^{23}$Na NMR and magnetic susceptibility the magnetic properties of oriented powder samples of Na$_{x}$CoO$_{2}$ compounds. The NMR spectra are found identical for various samples with nominal $0.50\leq x\leq 0.70,$ which establishes that the dominant phase has a single composition $x\approx 0.70$. Three Na sites are identified from their single valued quadrupole effects and magnetic shifts which implies a very definite order of the Na$^{+}$ ions and of the Co charges in the CoO$_{2}$ planes. The local susceptibility of the magnetic cobalt sites displays a large enhancement below 100 K with respect to the usually found high $T$ Curie-Weiss law. A very distinct much weaker Pauli like magnetism is detected for $x\approx 0.35$, the parent of the superconducting hydrated compound., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We present a detailed NQR, NMR and $\mu $SR study of a magnetic phase obtained during a topotactic chemical reaction of YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6.5}$ high- temperature superconductor with low-pressure water vapor. Our studies give straightforward evidence that the ''empty'' Cu(1) chains play the role of an easy water insertion channel. It is shown that the NQR spectrum of the starting material transforms progressively under insertion of water, and completely disappears when one H$_{2}$O molecule is inserted per unit cell. Similarly, a Cu ZFNMR signal characteristic of this water inserted material appears and grows with increasing water content, which indicates that the products of the reaction are non-superconducting antiferromagnetic phases in which the bilayers are ordered. These antiferromagnetic phases are felt by proton NMR which reveals two sites with static internal fields of 150 and about 15 Gauss respectively. Two muon sites are also evidenced with similar local fields which vanish at $T\approx 400$ K. This indicates that the magnetic phases have similar N\'{e}el temperatures as the other bilayer undoped compounds. An analysis of the internal fields on different sites of the structure suggests that they can be all assigned to a single magnetic phase at large water content in which the Cu(1) electron spins order with those of the Cu(2). It appears that even samples packed in Stycast epoxy resin heated moderately at a temperature (200$^{0}$C) undergo a reaction with epoxy decomposition products which yield the formation of the same final compound. It is then quite clear that such effects should be considered quite seriously and avoided in experiments attempting to resolve tiny effects in such materials, as those performed in some recent neutron scattering experiments., Comment: 12 pages of revised text including 12 Figures

The relatively low Tc of Bi2Sr2CuO6+D allows to study normal-state down to low temperatures and the non-substituted compound is intrinsically strongly overdoped. Hole concentration can be adjusted trough oxygen excess, but few data exist in the literature about the quantitative control of D. The synthesis, achieved in air by solid-state reaction, needs long-time annealing to obtain pure phase with stoichiometric cationic ratios. Thermogravimetric techniques were used to explore oxygen non-stoichiometry. Absolute oxygen content was determined by reduction with hydrogen, while the oxygen exchange was studied between 300 C and 670 C with different PO2. Oxygen excess varies between 0.14 and 0.18, with possibly two regimes of oxygen intercalation. These results are compared to Bi-2212., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, conference

We use 89Y NMR in $YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{6+y}$ in order to evaluate with high sensitivity the distribution of hole content p in the CuO2 planes. For y=1 and y=0.6, this hole doping distribution is found narrow with a full width at half maximum smaller than Delta p=0.025. This rules out any large static phase separation between underdoped and optimally doped regions in contrast with the one observed by STM in Bi2212 and by NQR in LaSrCuO. This establishes that static electronic phase separation is not a generic feature of the cuprates., Comment: published in Phys.Rev.Lett. 89, 157002 (2002) (only minor changes as compared to previous version) Article of 4 pages + 3 figures

We report the planar ^{17}O NMR shift in Pr substituted YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{6+x}, which at x=1 exhibits a characteristic pseudogap temperature dependence, confirming that Pr reduces the concentration of mobile holes in the CuO_{2} planes. Our estimate of the rate of this counterdoping effect, obtained by comparison with the shift in pure samples with reduced oxygen content, is found insufficient to explain the observed reduction of T_c. From the temperature dependent magnetic broadening of the ^{17}O NMR we conclude that the Pr moment and the local magnetic defect induced in the CuO_2 planes produce a long range spin polarization in the planes, which is likely associated with the extra reduction of T_c. We find a qualitatively different behaviour in the oxygen depleted Pr_yY_{1-y}Ba_2Cu_3O_{6.6}, i.e. the suppression of T$_c$ is nearly the same, but the magnetic broadening of the ^{17}O NMR appears weaker. This difference may signal a weaker coupling of the Pr to the planes in the underdoped compound, which might be linked with the larger Pr to CuO_2 plane distance, and correspondingly weaker hybridization., Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted in Phys Rev B

We present an extensive gallium NMR study of the geometrically frustrated kagome bi-layer compound SrCr_(9p)Ga_(12-9p)O_(19) (Cr^3+, S=3/2) over a broad Cr-concentration range (.72

We measure the magnetic susceptibility nearby Li spinless impurities in the superconducting phase of the high Tc cuprate YBaCuO. The induced moment which was found to exist above Tc persists below Tc. In the underdoped regime, it retains its Curie law below Tc. In contrast, near optimal doping, the large Kondo screening observed above Tc (T_K=135 K) is strongly reduced below Tc as expected theoretically when the superconducting gap develops. This moment still extends essentially on its 4 near neighbour Cu, showing the persistence of AF correlations in the superconducting state. A direct comparison with recent STM results of Pan et al. is proposed., Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. (issue of 30 april 2001) Revised version : 8 pages including 4 pages of text and 4 figures

We report a high-$T$ Ga-NMR study in the kagome-based antiferromagnetic compound SrCr$_{9p}$Ga$_{12-9p}$O$_{19}$ ($.81\leq p\leq .96$), and present a refined mean-field analysis of the high T local NMR susceptibility of Cr frustrated moments. We find that the intralayer kagome coupling is $J=86(6)$ K, and the interlayer coupling through non-kagome Cr moments is $J^{\prime }=69(7)$ K. The $J^{\prime}/J=0.80(1)$ ratio confirms the common belief that the frustrated entity is a pyrochlore slab., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures Conference paper: Highly Frustrated Magnetism 2000, Waterloo (Canada) Submitted to Canadian Journal of Physics

We present a study of the spin dynamics of magnetic defects induced by Li substitution of the plane Cu in the normal state of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$. The fluctuations of the coupled Cu magnetic moments in the vicinity of Li are probed by near-neighbour $^{89}$Y {\it and} $^7$Li NMR spin lattice relaxation. The data indicates that the magnetic perturbation fluctuates as a single entity with a correlation time $\tau$ which scales with the local static susceptibility. This behaviour is reminiscent of the low $T$ Kondo state of magnetic impurities in conventional metals. Surprisingly it extends well above the ``Kondo'' temperature for the underdoped pseudogapped case., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures (same), major modifications to text, accepted in PRL

Copper nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) and zero field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZFNMR) studies of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.5}$ show that a magnetic phase appears in underdoped 123 superconductors treated in ambient wet air. The studies give convincing evidence that the ``empty'' CuO chains play the role of easy water insertion channels. The reaction occurs first in ordered regions of the crystallites. The final product of the reaction is a non-superconducting antiferromagnetic compound characterized by at least two types of magnetically ordered copper ions with ZFNMR spectra respectively in the frequency ranges of 46-96 and 96-135 MHz respectively. Even for powder samples fixed in an epoxy resin, the reaction is found to occur partly after a few years., Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures

We compare the effects of in-plane non magnetic Li$^{+}$ and Zn$^{2+}$ impurities on the normal state of high-T$_{c}$ cuprates. Y NMR shows that the extra hole introduced by Li is not localized in its vicinity. The Tc depression and induced moments on near neighbour Cu sites of Zn or Li are found identical. These universal effects of spinless impurities establish the major influence of the spin perturbation with respect to the charge defect. The susceptibility of the induced moment measured by Li NMR displays a 1/(T+Theta) behavior. Theta increases with doping up to about 200 K in the overdoped regime. We attribute this to a "Kondo like" effect., Comment: To appear in Phys.Rev.Lett. (22 nov. 99) Minor modifications compared to previous version. 8 pages (4 pages for text + 4 figures)

We present SQUID susceptibility data on Zn and Ni substituted YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{6+x}. Cross-checks with NMR yield an unprecedented accuracy in the estimate of the magnetic susceptibility associated with the substituants, from the underdoped to the lightly overdoped case. This allows us to determine the Weiss temperature \theta for YBCO: its value is very small for all hole dopings n_h. Since in conventional metals, the Kondo temperature, $T_{K}<\theta$, magnetic screening effects would not be expected for $T\gg \theta$; in contrast, increasing n_h produces a reduction of the small moment induced by Zn^{2+} and a nearly constant effective moment for Ni^{2+} corresponding to a spin 1/2 rather than to a spin 1., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Europhysics Letters