EPR in glass ceramics

The development of novel materials requires a profound understanding of the relationship between a material's performance and its structural properties. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a well-established technique for a direct detection and identification of paramagnetic defects in solids. This chapter provides an overview of the applicability of continuous wave EPR spectroscopy in the studies of glass ceramics focusing on transition metal (Mn^{2 +}, Cu^{2 +}, Cr^{3 +}) and rare earth (Gd^{3 +}, Eu^{2 +}, Er^{3 +}, Yb^{3 +}) ion local structure analysis. EPR spectra features of the above-mentioned paramagnetic probes in glasses and glass ceramics are compared and discussed in detail. The chapter also serves the purpose of summarizing recent endeavors devoted to the investigation of transparent glass ceramics illustrating the results on oxyfluoride glass ceramic systems.