Holes associated with alkali acceptors

Abstract

In (Formula presented) the alkali ions Na and K, replacing Ba, lead to acceptor levels about 50 meV above the valence band edge. The structure of these defects can be studied by electron spin resonance, after light induced valence-band holes have been captured at neighboring (Formula presented) ions. Hyperfine interaction with Na, Ba, and Sr impurities, adjacent to the paramagnetic (Formula presented), is identified. The holes are trapped stably below ∼50 K. Their level position is determined by the temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of the light-induced nonequilibrium excess hole population. Photostimulated small polaron transfer between (Formula presented) sites equivalent with respect to Na or K leads to a strong optical-absorption band with peak at 1.3 eV, corresponding to a stabilization energy of the bound hole polaron of about 0.65 eV. The (Formula presented)-(Formula presented) dipoles can be reoriented under uniaxial stress at 4.2 K; a differential stress coupling coefficient of 1.23×(Formula presented) is derived. Several (Formula presented) centers associated with partly unassigned acceptors on Ti sites are identified. Their properties are compared to those of the Ba site acceptors. Vibronic g shifts are accounted for by a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect involving the twofold degenerate (Formula presented) π orbitals. © 1996 The American Physical Society.