A Low-Field Temperature Dependent EPR Signal in Terraced MgO:Mn2+ Nanoparticles: An Enhanced Zeeman Splitting in the Wide-Bandgap Oxide

Mn2+ ion doping is used as an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probe to investigate the influence of low-coordination structural defects such as step edges at the surface of terraced (001) MgO nanoparticles on the electronic properties. Beside the well-known hyperfine sextet of Mn2+ ions in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Peter V. Pikhitsa, Sukbyung Chae, Seungha Shin, Mansoo Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2017-01-01
Series:Journal of Spectroscopy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/8276520
Description
Summary:Mn2+ ion doping is used as an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probe to investigate the influence of low-coordination structural defects such as step edges at the surface of terraced (001) MgO nanoparticles on the electronic properties. Beside the well-known hyperfine sextet of Mn2+ ions in the cubic crystal field of MgO, an additional EPR feature with a striking nonmonotonous temperature dependent shift of the g-factor is observed in terraced nanoparticles in the temperature range from 4 K to room temperature. By linking the difference in the temperature dependence of the Mn2+ sextet intensity in cubic and terraced nanoparticles with the possible s-d exchange shift and enhanced Zeeman splitting we conclude that the novel EPR feature originates from the loosely trapped charge-compensating carriers at the abundant structural defects at the surface of terraced nanoparticles due to their exchange interaction with neighboring Mn2+ ions.
ISSN:2314-4920
2314-4939