  The effect of in-chain and off-chain substitutions on 1D spin fluctuations in
the spin-Peierls compound CuGeO_3 has been studied using Raman scattering in
order to understand the interplay between defect induced states, enhanced
spin-spin correlations and the ground state of low dimensional systems.
In-chain and off-chain substitutions quench the spin-Peierls state and induce
3D antiferromagnetic order at T\leq 5 K. Consequently a suppression of a 1D
gap-induced mode as well as a constant intensity of a spinon continuum are
observed at low temperatures. A 3D two-magnon density of states now gradually
extends to higher temperatures T\leq 60K compared with pure CuGeO_3. This
effect is more pronounced in the case of off-chain substitutions (Si) for which
a N\'eel state occurs over a larger substitution range, starting at very low
concentrations. Besides, additional low energy excitations are induced. These
effects, i.e. the shift of a dimensional crossover to higher temperatures are
due to an enhancement of the spin-spin correlations induced by a small amount
of substitutions. The results are compared with recent Monte Carlo studies on
substituted spin ladders, pointing to a similar instability of coupled,
dimerized spin chains and spin ladders upon substitution.
