Radiation damage of CrO<inf>4</inf>^2- doped KH <inf>2</inf>PO<inf>4</inf> single crystals

Radiation damage studies of CrO42- ions doped in KH2PO4 crystals are presented. The optical absorption spectra of these crystals before irradiation show characteristic bands around 3600 and 2700 Å. The optical spectra after irradiation show new absorption bands in the region 5000-7000 Å. EPR spectra of the irradiated crystals consist of a single line at RT which shows splitting at low temperatures. By a systematic correlation of the optical absorption and EPR results at different stages of irradiation, the radiation damage product of these crystals is identified as CrO43-. The analysis of EPR spectra shows axial symmetry for CrO43- in the paraelectric phase with g∥ = 1.955 and g⊥ = 1.972 and orthorhombic symmetry in the ferroelectric phase with gx = 1.983,gy = 1.976, and g2 = 1.945. © 1981 American Institute of Physics.