Magnetic interactions in CrSbVO6 studied by EPR

Powder samples of CrSbVO6 were synthesized from a mixture of appropriate oxides by the solid state reaction technique and investigated by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in the 4-300 K temperature range. At room temperature the EPR spectrum consisted of two widely differing components: a narrow (∼10 mT) line centered at gna = 1.967 and an intense, almost Lorentzian broad (∼100 mT) line at gbr = 1.975. The EPR spectral parameters (linewidth, g-factor, amplitude, integrated intensity) of both components displayed a marked thermal dependence. The temperature dependence of the broad component showed a very interesting behavior - its amplitude increased on cooling from room temperature, reaching a maximum at 50 K and decreased sharply on further cooling. The narrow line in the EPR spectrum of CrSbVO6 was attributed to strongly interacting V4+ and Cr3+ monomers and Cr3+-Cr3+ pairs, while the broad line was due to the V4+-V4+ dimers and spin clusters involving Cr3+ and V4+ ions.