EPR in Kagome Staircase Compound Mg$\text{}_{2.997}$Co$\text{}_{0.003}$V$\text{}_{2}$O$\text{}_{8}$

The paramagnetic resonance of Co$\text{}^{2+}$ ions in Mg$\text{}_{2.997}$Co$\text{}_{0.003}$V$\text{}_{2}$O$\text{}_{8}$ single crystals are reported. The EPR spectrum shows two groups of resonance lines associated with two crystallographically nonequivalent Co ions positions that are known in the kagome staircase system as "cross-tie" and "spine" sites. No preferential occupation of Co$\text{}^{2+}$ ions in the kagome lattice was observed. The ground state was described by spin-Hamiltonian with an effective electronic spin S=1/2 and nuclear spin I=7/2. The local symmetry of oxygen octahedron surrounding Co ions, main values of the g-factors, and hyperfine structure were determined for both cobalt positions.