Using EPR spectroscopy to go from the Jahn-Teller effect to nuclear waste disposal

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for elucidating the fundamental solid-state-chemical and crystal-field ground-state electronic properties of rare-earth and actinide ions that are incorporated into single-crystal host materials. In the case of rare-earth or rare-earth-like ions that are characterized by a degenerate orbital doublet ground state when placed in a cubic crystal field, EPR has proven to be an extremely valuable approach to the study of various manifestations of the Jahn-Teller (J-T) effect. The contributions of EPR spectroscopy to the study of the J-T effect in ions such as La2+, Y2+ and Sc2+ include the discovery of quadrupolar effects in J-T systems and a verification of Frank Ham's theory of the dynamic J-T effect. Such basic studies can often have unforeseen consequences--like leading to the discovery of new scintillators for gamma-ray detection or the development of a matrix for the disposal of radioactive waste