Magnetic and optical properties of virgin arc furnace grown MgO crystals

Transition metal ions (Mn²⁺, Cr³⁺, Fe^2+/3+, V²⁺) as substitutional impurities in cubic crystals play an important role due to their influence on the magneto-optical properties of the virgin crystals. The optical and magnetic properties of commercial MgO(001) single crystals were investigated. The PL spectra of 3d impurity ions (Cr³⁺ and V²⁺) show narrow zero phonon lines with decay times in the range of milliseconds and a broad multiphonon sideband decaying in microseconds. The EPR study exhibits hyperfine components corresponding to Mn atoms and to V atoms located in orthorhombic symmetry. The intensity change of the EPR and PL spectra as well as the variation of the decay time with temperature can be explained by electron-spin lattice relaxation due to the Raman process.