Electron paramagnetic resonance of Dy3+ ions in lead thiogallate single crystals

The results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of Dy3+ ions in lead thiogallate PbGa2S4 single crystals have been presented. It has been shown that the ground state of these ions corresponds to the lowest Stark sublevel Γ6 of the term 6 H 15/2. The spectra are well described by the axially symmetric spin Hamiltonian with the effective spin S = 1/2 with the factors g ‖ = 15.06 and g ⊥ = 2.47. The Dy3+ ions substitute Pb2+ ions in the crystal lattice of PbGa2S4. The observed hyperfine structure has allowed to unambiguously interpret the EPR spectra. The hyperfine interaction constants of two odd isotopes of dysprosium in lead thiogallate single crystals have been found to be A ‖ = 675 × 10−4 cm−1 and A ⊥ = 111 × 10−4 cm−1 for 163Dy and A ‖ = 472 × 10−4 cm−1 and A ⊥ = 77 × 10−4 cm−1 for 161Dy.