Combined Optical/MCD/ODMR investigations of photochromism in doubly-doped Bi 12 GeO 20

Electron paramagnetic resonance is detected optically via the change of magnetic circular dichroism under microwaves at 35 v GHz. The technique is applied to Bi 12 GeO 20 samples co-doped with vanadium and a second transition metal (Cr, Mn, Co, Cu). The optical and magnetic properties of several paramagnetic defects (V Ge 4+ and Cr Ge 4+ ) are directly correlated. The basic photochromic processes occuring in samples doped with V, Mn, and Mn+V are explained. The V Ge 4+/5+ level is positioned roughly 2.2 v eV above the valence band.