EPR Investigation of Local Paramagnetic Centers in Perovskite-Like Crystals

In ScF3 single crystals (pure and doped) as well as in Rb2KScF6 and Rb2KDyF6 crystals with a perovskite-like structure, point nanodefects (vacancy in place of trivalent cations) have been found and studied. Electron paramagnetic resonance has been used to investigate local paramagnetic centers that are not detected using X-ray diffraction. The angular dependence of the spectra indicates a local distortion of the cubic symmetry of the crystals. An additional hyperfine structure in the observed spectra is due to the delocalization of electrons over six F-ions forming the first coordination polyhedron around the vacancy. The crystals studied are characterized by a high electron mobility and a high electron velocity, which depends on the impurity. The high mobility of electrons of the cation center can be indirectly responsible for the structural phase transition occurring in the ScF3 crystal under uniaxial pressure.