We have measured the attenuation of 100-and 260-Mc/sec longitudinal acoustic waves in CK-AI2O3 (corundum) containing a few ppm of Ni 3+ , and have compared our data with previous measurements at 2 Mc/sec. The attenuation as a function of temperature shows a relaxation-type behavior with a peak at 12 °K for 100-Mc/sec waves and 14°K for 260-Mc/sec waves. From our data we can deduce a temperature-dependent relaxation time r which is in reasonably good agreement with the relaxation time for the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect as observed in spin resonance. Above 12°K, we find r = 5 X \0~ue~m' T sec, the form expected for a thermal-activation process. At low temperatures, r varies approximately linearly with temperature, as expected for phonon-assisted tunneling. Unexplained deviations from theory are observed below about 6°K at 2 Mc/sec, but we find no evidence for resonant absorption of acoustic phonons.
JAHN-TELLER ION Ni»+ IN AI2O3219