Phosphorescence Microwave Double Resonance Spectroscopy in Ionic Solids and Its Application to Coherent Jahn-Teller States inFCenters of CaO

Abstract

We demonstrate the use of phosphorescence microwave double resonance (PMDR) in ionic solids applied to the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in $F$ centers of CaO. A tunnel splitting ($\Delta =2.1\mathrm{}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-1\mathrm{}}$) is obtained and Jahn-Teller states are coherent in zero field at least ${10}^3$ times longer than the stochastic limit, and possibly as long as the lifetime of the centers. This is demonstrated by showing the loss of coherence by small Zeeman perturbations on the PMDR spectrum.