Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Electron Spin Resonance experiments of several diluted rare-earths (Dy3+, Er3+, Yb3+) in the narrow gap semiconductor PbTe show ground states appropriated with a cubic crystal field splitting of the lowest multiplet (J). The data permits the determination of the sign and ratio of the cubic crystal field parameters A4 <r4>and A6< r6 >. These results suggest that the rare-earths substitute the Pb2+ ions and that the crystal field is mainly associated to an octahedron of Te2− ions. The observed ESR spectra also show lower symmetry sites probably associated with nearest neighbor Pb2+ vacancies.