Electron paramagnetic resonance of an iron-associated defect in AgGa $S_{2}$

A detailed EPR study of a new center appearing in iron-contaminated AgGa

S_{2}

crystals after band-to-band photoexitation and having a nearly isotropic

g

value of 4.3±0.15 is reported. To interpret the experimental results, by analogy with the iron defects observed in II-VI compounds, we fit the

{}^{6}S

manifold of states with a spin Hamiltonian of the form:

H = g β \vec{B} \cdot \vec{S} + D [{S_{z}}^{2} - \frac{1}{3} S (S + 1)] + E ({S_{x}}^{2} - {S_{y}}^{2})

. Several possible atomic defect configurations are given; among these, one would be the analog of the

{Fe}^{3 +}

X

centers observed in II-VI compounds taking into account the cation ordering of the chalcopyrite structure. Although the chemical nature of

X

could not be identified in the present case, these results seem to corroborate the close analogy among the defects occuring in II-VI and I-III-

{VI}_{2}

compounds.

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Electron paramagnetic resonance of an iron-associated defect in AgGaS2