Indirect measurements of the Jahn-Teller quenched spin-orbit splitting in the 5T2g-state of KMgF3:Fe2+

The energy separation of the first excited spin-orbit States Γ_3g, Γ_4g from the Γ_5g ground state, in the orbital ⁵T_2g triplet state of Fe²⁺ in KMgF₃, has been estimated from temperature dependence measurements on the 7860 cm^-1 zero-phonon-line (ZPL) transition from Γ_5g to the orbital ⁵E_g doublet state. Using a simplified crystal field energy level model, we find the Γ_5g Γ_3g, Γ_4g separation to be ～30 cm^-1, indicating that the vibronic Jahn-Teller coupling is considerably stronger in KMgF₃:Fe²⁺ than in MgO:Fe²⁺. Far infrared absorption data on KMgF₃:Fe²⁺ in magnetic fields up to 6T, are found to be consistent with this interpretation.