Low-temperature properties of neutron irradiated CuGeO3 single crystals

The effect of neutron irradiation on the magnetic properties of CuGeO3 single crystal which shows the spin–Peierls transition below Tsp=14K was investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and susceptibility measurements. It was found that the irradiation led to a decrease of the spin–Peierls transition temperature and induced appreciable changes in the EPR signal intensity, resonance linewidth, g-factor and magnetic susceptibility of this material. These changes may be associated with a partial suppression of both the energy gap and the dimerization within the Cu chains.