Temperature dependence of the EPR linewidth of Yb3+ - ions in Y0.99Yb0.01Ba2Cu3OX compounds: Evidence for an anomaly near TC

Electron paramagnetic resonance experiments on doped Yb3+ ions in YBaCuO compounds with different oxygen contents have been made. We have observed the strong temperature dependence of the EPR linewidth in the all investigated samples caused by the Raman processes of spin-lattice relaxation. The spin-lattice relaxation rate anomaly revealed near TC in the superconducting species can be assigned to the phonon density spectrum changes