Electron paramagnetic resonance and spinlattice relaxation of Cu2+ ions in ZnSeO4·6H2O

In this paper, we present detailed studies of the EPR spectra of Cu²⁺ ions in single crystals of ZnSeO₄·6H₂O. We describe the spectrum with a rhombic spin Hamiltonian with the following parameters: g_z=2.427; g_y=2.095; g_x=2.097; A _z ⁶⁵ =138.4·10^?4 cm^?1; A _x ⁶⁵ =22.3·10^?4 cm^?1. We studied spin-lattice relaxation in the temperature range 4–300 K at the frequency v≈9.3 GHz. The measured spin-lattice relaxation rate for the orientation H∥L₄ is described well at T<5 K by a linear dependence, while at T>5 K it is described by the sum of three exponentials: $$T_1^{ - 1} = 0.27T + 3.3 \cdot 10^{\text{s}} \exp \left( {\frac{{ - 69.5}}{T}} \right) + 2.6 \cdot 10^7 \exp \left( {\frac{{ - 140}}{T}} \right) + 1.36 \cdot 10^{10} \exp \left( {\frac{{ - 735.6}}{T}} \right){\text{ sec}}^{{\text{ - 1}}} $$ .We discuss possible reasons for the exponential dependence of T ₁ ^?1 for the Raman process.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance study of Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions at octahedral and tetrahedral mirror symmetry sites in the LiScGeO<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study of a synthetic single crystal of LiScGeO₄ doped with Cr ions carried out earlier at the X- and Q-bands at 300, K has indicated additional weak lines. A detailed analysis of these EPR lines, which were tentatively attributed to the Fe³⁺ ions at two different mirror symmetry sites, is presented in this paper. The angular dependences in the three crystallographic planes were resolved by fitting the two distinct spectra denoted Fe³⁺(I) and Fe³⁺(II) with a spin Hamiltonian (S=5/2) of monoclinic symmetry. The rank-4 crystal field tensors at tetrahedral and octahedral sites were calculated with the point-charge model to determine the principal axis orientations of their cubic, tetragonal and trigonal components. A comparative analysis of the zero-field splitting tensors and the crystal field ones indicates that Fe³⁺(I) ions substitute for Sc³⁺ at octahedral sites and Fe³⁺(II) ions substitute for Ge⁴⁺ at tetrahedral sites with no significant distorition of the coordination polyhedra in the structure of LiScGeO₄.     

Quadratic crystal field tensors and spin Hamiltonian tensors of Fe3+ in Li2Ge7O15 above and below the phase transition temperature

Dopant Fe³⁺ ions in tetrahedral and octahedral positions of Ge⁴⁺ in the crystal Li₂Ge₇O₁₅ were studied using EPR. Fe³⁺ substitutes for Ge⁴⁺ with a local charge compensation. The octahedral site and the tetrahedral sites significantly differ by the value of the invariant sumS(B ₄) of theB ₄ tensor of the spin Hamiltonian of Fe³⁺. The irreducible tensor products {V ₄ ? V ₄}₄ and {V ₄?V ₄}₂ theV ₄ tensor of the crystal field calculated using the point-charge model for octahedral and tetrahedral complexes provide the predominant contribution of the crystal field to theB ₄ andB ₂ tensors of the spin Hamiltonian of Fe³⁺, respectively. A comparison of the fourth-rank tensorsB ₄ of the spin Hamiltonian and {V ₄?V ₄}₄ of the crystal field determined at 300 K with those determined at 77 K supports the conclusion that the phase transition is accompanied by combined rotation of the [GeO₄] tetrahedra with the [Ge(1)O₆] octahedron almost unaltered. The spectrum lines are narrow and the variety of point defects in the vicinity of the paramagnetic impurity ions Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺ and Cu²⁺ is not detected. These facts are inconsistent with the statistically distributed model for the Li(2) atom. In specific cases at 300 K, when the wings of the two spectrum lines of theM→M+1 and theM+2 →M+3 transitions of Fe³⁺ ions belonging to one system of translationally equivalent positions overlap an extra line appears in the center between these lines. It is suggested that this effect is due to the soft phonon mode above the phase transition temperature.     

Photodynamic processes in CaF<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystals activated by Ce<Superscript>3+</Superscript> and Yb<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions

The photochemical properties of CaF₂ crystals activated by Ce³⁺ and Yb³⁺ ions are studied. A model of the photodynamic processes induced by pumping UV or VUV radiation in active media is suggested and experimentally verified. This model explains both the presence of color centers of electronic and hole nature in crystals activated by cerium and the mechanism of suppressing of solarization processes after additional activation of the samples by Yb³⁺ ions. The cross sections of the processes of free-carrier capture by various ytterbium impurity centers are estimated. These impurity centers are established to be effective centers of recombination of free carriers of both signs.     

On the distribution coefficient of Ce<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions in LiF-LuF<Subscript>3</Subscript>-YF<Subscript>3</Subscript> solid-solution crystals

The optimum ratio of the numbers of the Y³⁺ and Lu³⁺ ions in LiF-LuF₃-YF₃ solid solutions at which the distribution (introduction) coefficient of Ce³⁺ ions is three to five times larger than that in LiYF₄ and LiLuF₄ crystals has been determined by the EPR and optical spectroscopy methods.     

PRESSURE-VELOCITY EQUILIBRIUM HYDRODYNAMIC MODELS

This article describes mathematical models for phase separated mixtures of materials that are in pressure and velocity equilibrium but not necessarily temperature equilibrium. General conditions for constitutive models for such mixtures that exhibit a single mixture sound speed are discussed and specific examples are described.     

Investigation of gain characteristics in mixed crystals LiMeF4 (Me = Y,Lu, Yb) doped by Ce3+ ions

Differential gain spectra in the range 295–335 nm were measured in crystals of scheelite structure LiY_{1 ? x} Lu _x F₄ (x = 0–1), doped by Ce³⁺ ions. It is shown that variation of Lu³⁺ and Y³⁺ ions relative content in LiY_{1 ? x} Lu _x F₄ crystals allows to manipulate the spectral width of the amplification band. Cross-sections of excited-state absorption at the wavelengths of Ce³⁺ luminescence, probability ratios of formation and thermal destruction of color centers depending on the Y³⁺ ions content in LiY_{1 ? x} Lu _x F₄ crystals were estimated. Even better gain characteristics have been demonstrated by LiLuF₄:Ce³⁺, doped by Yb³⁺ ions. The highest optical gain coefficient with a wide amplification band among studied samples was observed in LiLuF₄:Ce³⁺ crystal, codoped by Yb³⁺ ions.     

Derivation of the conditions for equivalent positions in crystals: The dissymmetrization of barite by electron spin resonance spectra

The conditions for equivalent positions on the (hkl) face of growing crystal are derived using symmetry elements of the space group. It is shown by the example of the sp. gr. D _2h ¹⁶ that the conditions of equivalent position formation coincide with conditions of the reflection of diffracted beams by crystal. It is established that electron spin resonance (ESR) centers in barite, SO ₄ ^? (I) and SO ₄ ^? (II), with only two conjugate spectra with equal intensity out of four, and SO ₄ ^? (III), with a different intensity of conjugate spectra K _??M = 2, are localized into the growth pyramid of the (001) face with a [010] step. SO ₂ ^? , SO ₃ ^? ,, and SO ₄ ^? (IV) centers, having an identical intensity of the conjugate ESR spectra with K _??M = 2, are localized into the growth pyramid of the (210) face with a growth step [001].     

Specific features of the substitution of Fe<Superscript>3+</Superscript> impurity ions for Zr<Superscript>4+</Superscript> in NaZr<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

The EPR spectra of Fe³⁺ impurity ions in NaZr₂(PO₄)₃ single crystals at 300 K are investigated, and the spin Hamiltonian of these ions is determined. A comparative analysis of the spin-Hamiltonian and crystal-field tensors is performed using the maximum invariant component method. It is demonstrated that Fe³⁺ impurity ions substitute for Zr⁴⁺ ions with local compensator ions located in cavities of the B type. It is revealed that the invariant of the spin-Hamiltonian tensor B₄ and the crystal-field tensor V ₄ ⁴⁴ depend substantially on the mutual arrangement of ions in the first and second coordination spheres. The corresponding dependences are analyzed.     

Low-symmetry spin hamiltonian and crystal field tensors analysis: Fe(3+) in natrolite

Electron paramagnetic resonance study of a natural single crystal of natrolite was carried out at the frequency nu=36.772 GHz at room temperature. The angular dependence of the four symmetry-related spectra of Fe(3+) in the three crystallographic planes was fitted to a spin Hamiltonian (S=5/2) of symmetry C(i). The rank 4 crystal field tensors at tetrahedral sites were calculated using the point-charge model to determine the principal axes orientations of their cubic and trigonal components. The analysis of zero-field splitting tensors and comparison with crystal field ones suggests that Fe(3+) substitutes for Al(3+) with no significant distortion of the coordination tetrahedron in natrolite. Comparison of data for several natural and synthetic crystals reveals that the 4-rank zero-field splitting tensor invariants for Fe(3+) at the tetrahedral oxygen-coordinated sites are distinguishably smaller than those for Fe(3+) at octahedral sites. Such comparative analysis may help to determine the substitutional sites in other crystals.