Abstract: Traditional ligand-field theory has to be improved by taking into account both pure electronic contribution and electron-phonon interaction one (including lattice-vibrational relaxation energy). By means of improved ligand-field theory, the R line, t₂^{3 2}T₁ and t₂^{3 2}T₂ lines, t₂² (³T₁)e⁴T₂, t₂² (³T₁)e⁴T₁ and t₂ e²(⁴A₂)⁴T₁ bands, g factors of t₂^{3 4}A₂ and t₂^{3 2}E, four strain-induced level-splittings and R-line thermal shift of MgO:V₂₊ have been calculated. The results are in very good agreement with the experimental data. It is found that for MgO:V₂₊, the contributions due to electron-phonon interaction (EPI) come from the first-order term; the contributions from the second-order and higher terms are insignificant. In thermal shift of R line of MgO:V₂₊, the temperature-dependent contribution due to EPI is dominant. The results obtained in this work may be used in theoretical calculations of other effects of EPI.

Key words: improved ligand-field theory, electron-phonon interaction, energy spectrum, strain-induced splitting, thermal shift, g factor