THE HEIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL BARRIER OF THE YANG–TELLER CENTER IN SPINEL ZnGa₂O₄

The EPR spectrum of the copper Cu²⁺ impurity magnetic center in a single crystal of zinc-gallium spinel ZnGa₂O₄ has been studied in a wide temperature range T=4.2K–300K. The EPR spectrum exhibits properties similar to those for off-center ions, which contribute to the formation of a multiminimum crystal field potential in the immediate environment of the Yang-Teller Cu²⁺ copper complex in a single crystal. A study of the temperature dependence of the integral intensity of the EPR spectrum lines has been carried out. The height of the potential barrier that separates the equivalent potential pits containing Cu²⁺ copper ions has been determined. Cu²⁺ ions occupy structurally unequal centers in the elementary crystal lattice.