Low temperature spectral studies of Mn3+-bearing andalusite and epidote type minerals in the range 30000–5000 cm−1

Polarized absorption spectra of natural piemontite (Ca_1.802Mn ²⁺_0.178 Mg_0.025) (Mn ³⁺_0.829 Fe ³⁺_0.346 Al_1.825) [(Si_2.992Al_0.008) O₁₂OH], viridine (Al_1.945Mn ³⁺_0.033 Fe ³⁺_0.063 Mg_0.003) [O|Si_0.970 O₄], and kanonaite (Al_1.291Mn ³⁺_0.682 Fe ³⁺_0.019 ) [O|Si_1.006 O₄] were measured at 295 and ca. 100 K. For piemontite, lowering the temperature resulted in a sharpening of broad bands in the 10 000–25 000 cm⁻¹ region supporting their assignment to single ion Mn³⁺ in M3 non-centrosymmetric sites.

Alternatively, in kanonaite, temperature behaviour pointed to a slightly stronger influence of vibronic coupling on strong bands near 16 000 and 22 000 cm⁻¹, which supported an interpretation of Mn³⁺ in nearly centrosymmetric M1 sites. Measurements at ca. 100 K show pronounced fine structure in the viridine spectra which is attributed to Fe³⁺. The ɛ values for Mn³⁺ spin-allowed bands in the three minerals lie in the range 18 to 227 [1·g-atom⁻¹·cm⁻¹].

For the same band and polarisation, ɛ values in Mn³⁺-bearing andalusite-type minerals viridine and kanonaite are the same, which indicates an absence of strong magnetic coupling effects between Mn³⁺ ions in the andalusite type structure down to ca. 100 K.

In silicates, the high ɛ values for Mn³⁺ spin-allowed bands, in comparison to those obtained for Fe²⁺ spin-allowed bands from sites of “similar distortion”, is attributed to a higher degree of covalency in the Mn³⁺-O bonds compared to the Fe²⁺-O bonds, as a result of the higher valence state of manganese.