Electron Spin (Paramagnetic) Resonance Spectroscopy

Bhabesh Sarangi
(Dated: April 24, 2019)
In this experiment Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy is being used to determine the value
of Lands g-factor and ∆B of an electron in atom. A sample of DPPH is kept in ESR set, which
undergoes electron spin resonance absorption. The experimental conditions are optimized to get
absorption peaks. By studying these peaks and optimization values of the experimental parameters,
value of g can be determined.

I. THEORY

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) or electron

spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy is a method for
studying materials with unpaired electrons. The basic
concepts of EPR are analogous to those of nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR), but it is electron spins that
are excited instead of the spins of atomic nuclei. EPR
spectroscopy is particularly useful for studying metal
complexes or organic radicals. EPR was first observed in
Kazan State University by Soviet physicist Yevgeny Za-
voisky in 1944, and was developed independently at the
same time by Brebis Bleaney at the University of Oxford.

Every electron has a magnetic moment and spin
quantum number s= 1/2, with magnetic components ms
= 1/2 and ms = -1/2 . In the presence of an external
magnetic field with strength Bo , the electron’s magnetic
moment aligns itself either parallel (ms = -1/2 ) or
antiparallel ( ms = 1/2) to the field, each alignment
having a specific energy due to the Zeeman effect:
by an electron is thus written
Bef f = Bo (1 - σ)
where σ includes the effects of local fields ( σ can
be positive or negative). Therefore, the hν = ge µB Bef f
resonance condition (above) is rewritten as follows:

E = ms ge µB Bo hν = ge µB Bef f = ge µB Bo (1 - σ)

where ge is the electron’s so-called g-factor (Land The quantity e (1 − σ) is denoted, g and called simply
g-factor), ge = 2.0023 for the free electron, the g-factor, so that the final resonance equation becomes

µB is the Bohr magneton. hν = gµB Bo

Therefore, the separation between the lower and

the upper state is ∆E = ge µB Bo for unpaired free
electrons. This equation implies (since both ge andµB
are constant) that the splitting of the energy levels is II. APPARATUS
directly proportional to the magnetic field’s strength, as
shown in the diagram below. • ESR resonator with field coils

An unpaired electron can move between the two • ESR power supply
energy levels by either absorbing or emitting a photon of • Power supply, universal
energy hν such that the resonance condition, hν = ∆E,
is obeyed. This leads to the fundamental equation of • Oscilloscope, 30 MHz, 2 channels
EPR spectroscopy: hν = ge µB Bo
• Digital multimeter
Knowledge of the g-factor can give information about a
• Screened cable, BNC, l = 750 mm
paramagnetic center’s electronic structure. An unpaired
electron responds not only to a spectrometer’s applied • Adapter, BNC-socket/4 mm plug pair
magnetic field Bo but also to any local magnetic fields of
atoms or molecules. The effective field Bef f experienced • wires red blue yellow
 2

III. EXPERIMENTAL SET UP of the resonance current Ir

2.565
g= Ir = 2.258

The literature value is given as:

g = 0037.2

Here, we know

∆B = 4.07x10−3 A
T
∆I = 2.035 10−4 T

The literature value is given by:

IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION ∆B = 2.8 10−4 T

The resonance current Ir = 1.136 Amp
Determination of FWHM:
point of intersection (right) = 0.879 Amp
point of intersection (left) = 0.829 Amp
FWHM = ∆I = 0.050 Amp
The Land-factor g can be expressed with the help
This experimental result is not very accurate com-
pared to the literature value. The reason for this is the
geometrical setup of the ESR-resonator. The two coils
do not function as ideal Helmholtz coils. For a more
accurate result one must use much larger coils in order
to get an almost ideal pair of Helmholtz coils, which
would lead to an unreasonable large increase in costs of
the experiment, which set-up is already very good for
determing the Land-factor g. Nevertheless, this will be
topic during a redesign.