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Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to monitor photoinduced changes in the charge states of sulfur vacancies and Cu ions in tin hypothiodiphosphate. A Sn2P2S6 crystal containing Cu+ (3d10) ions at Sn2+ sites was grown by the chemical vapor transport method. Doubly ionized sulfur vacancies ( V S 2 +) are also present in the as-grown crystal (where they serve as charge compensators for the Cu+ ions). For temperatures below 70 K, exposure to 532 or 633 nm laser light produces stable Cu2+ (3d9) ions, as electrons move from Cu+ ions to sulfur vacancies. A g matrix and a 63,65Cu hyperfine matrix are obtained from the angular dependence of the Cu2+ EPR spectrum. Paramagnetic singly ionized ( V S +) and nonparamagnetic neutral ( V S 0) charge states of the sulfur vacancies, with one and two trapped electrons, respectively, are formed during the illumination. Above 70 K, the neutral vacancies ( V S 0) are thermally unstable and convert to V S + vacancies by releasing an electron to the conduction band. These released electrons move back to Cu2+ ions and restore Cu+ ions. Analysis of isothermal decay curves acquired by monitoring the intensity of the Cu2+ EPR spectrum between 74 and 82 K, after removing the light, gives an activation energy of 194 meV for the release of an electron from a V S 0 vacancy. Warming above 120 K destroys the V S + vacancies and the remaining Cu2+ ions. The photoinduced EPR spectrum from a small concentration of unintentionally present Ni+ ions at Sn2+ sites is observed near 40 K in the Sn2P2S6 crystal.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to identify the singly ionized charge state of the Sn vacancy ( VSn−) in single crystals of Sn2P2S6 (often referred to as SPS). These vacancies, acting as a hole trap, are expected to be important participants in the photorefractive effect observed in undoped SPS crystals. In as-grown crystals, the Sn vacancies are doubly ionized ( VSn2−) with no unpaired spins. They are then converted to a stable EPR-active state when an electron is removed (i.e., a hole is trapped) during an illumination below 100 K with 633 nm laser light. The resulting EPR spectrum has g-matrix principal values of 2.0079, 2.0231, and 1.9717. There are resolved hyperfine interactions with two P neighbors and one Sn neighbor. The isotropic portions of these hyperfine matrices are 167 and 79 MHz for the two 31P neighbors and 8504 MHz for the one Sn neighbor (this latter value is the average for 117Sn and 119Sn). These VSn− vacancies are shallow acceptors with the hole occupying a diffuse wave...

An electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR) spectrum in neutron-irradiated ZnO crystals is assigned to the zinc-oxygen divacancy. These divacancies are observed in the bulk of both hydrothermally grown and seeded-chemical-vapor-transport-grown crystals after irradiations with fast neutrons. Neutral nonparamagnetic complexes consisting of adjacent zinc and oxygen vacancies are formed during the irradiation. Subsequent illumination below ∼150 K with 442 nm laser light converts these ( V Z n 2 − − V O 2 + )0 defects to their EPR-active state ( V Z n − − V O 2 + )+ as electrons are transferred to donors. The resulting photoinduced S = 1/2 spectrum of the divacancy is holelike and has a well-resolved angular dependence from which a complete g matrix is obtained. Principal values of the g matrix are 2.00796, 2.00480, and 2.00244. The unpaired spin resides primarily on one of the three remaining oxygen ions immediately adjacent to the zincvacancy, thus making the electronic structure of the ( V Z n − − V O 2 + )+ ground state similar to the isolated singly ionized axial zincvacancy. The neutral ( V Z n 2 − − V O 2 + )0 divacancies dissociate when the ZnO crystals are heated above 250 °C. After heating above this temperature, the divacancy EPR signal cannot be regenerated at low temperature with light.

A photoinduced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum in single crystals of Sn2P2S6 (SPS) is assigned to an electron trapped at a sulfur vacancy. These vacancies are unintentionally present in undoped SPS crystals and are expected to play an important role in the photorefractive behavior of the material. Nonparamagnetic sulfur vacancies are formed during the initial growth of the crystal. Subsequent illumination below 100 K with 442 nm laser light easily converts these vacancies to EPR-active defects. The resulting S = 1/2 spectrum shows well-resolved and nearly isotropic hyperfine interactions with two P ions and two Sn ions. Partially resolved interactions with four additional neighboring Sn ions are also observed. Principal values of the g matrix are 1.9700, 1.8946, and 1.9006, with the corresponding principal axes along the a, b, and c directions in the crystal. The isotropic parts of the two primary 31P hyperfine interactions are 19.5 and 32.6 MHz and the isotropic parts of the two primary Sn...

Transmutation of 64Zn to 65Cu has been observed in a ZnO crystal irradiated with neutrons. The crystal was characterized with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) before and after the irradiation and with gamma spectroscopy after the irradiation. Major features in the gamma spectrum of the neutron-irradiated crystal included the primary 1115.5 keV gamma ray from the 65Zn decay and the positron annihilation peak at 511 keV. Their presence confirmed the successful transmutation of 64Zn nuclei to 65Cu. Additional direct evidence for transmutation was obtained from the EPR of Cu2+ ions (where 63Cu and 65Cu hyperfine lines are easily resolved). A spectrum from isolated Cu2+ (3d9) ions acquired after the neutron irradiation showed only hyperfine lines from 65Cu nuclei. The absence of 63Cu lines in this Cu2+ spectrum left no doubt that the observed 65Cu signals were due to transmuted 65Cu nuclei created as a result of the neutron irradiation. Small concentrations of copper, in the form of Cu+-H complexes, were ...

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to characterize the 67Zn hyperfine interactions associated with neutral nitrogen acceptors in zinc oxide. Data are obtained from an n-type bulk crystal grown by the seeded chemical vapor transport method. Singly ionized nitrogen acceptors (N−) initially present in the crystal are converted to their paramagnetic neutral charge state (N0) during exposure at low temperature to 442 or 633 nm laser light. The EPR signals from these N0 acceptors are best observed near 5 K. Nitrogen substitutes for oxygen ions and has four nearest-neighbor cations. The zinc ion along the [0001] direction is referred to as an axial neighbor and the three equivalent zinc ions in the basal plane are referred to as nonaxial neighbors. For axial neighbors, the 67Zn hyperfine parameters are A‖ = 37.0 MHz and A⊥ = 8.4 MHz with the unique direction being [0001]. For nonaxial neighbors, the 67Zn parameters are A1 = 14.5 MHz, A2 = 18.3 MHz, and A3 = 20.5 MHz with A3 along a [101¯0] direction (...