Mechanisms of spin-lattice relaxation of vk and related centers

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the spin-lattice relaxation (SLR) mechanisms of V_K-centers in alkali and alkaline earth halides has been carried out. It has been shown that at low temperatures the main role in SLR is played by rapidly relaxing centers (RRC). In some cases, however, an intrinsic one-phonon SLR process due to modulation of both the isotropic and anisotropic hyperfine (HF) interaction seems to be important. At higher temperatures SLR can be explained by an anharmonic Raman process with the participation of the resonant molecular vibrational (RMV) mode of the V_K-center. In this SLR process, similarly to the low-temperature intrinsic process, the spin-phonon coupling is due to the modulation of the HF interaction. Deviations from the Debye phonon spectrum and the local anharmonicity of V_K-centers turn out to be important. The SLR of several other hole and interstitial type centers in alkali halides has also been investigated and their SLR mechanisms are discussed.