The damping of collective rotational motion is studied microscopically, mak
ing use of shell model calculations based on the cranked Nilsson deformed m
ean-field and on residual two-body interactions, and focusing on the shape
of the gamma-gamma correlation spectra and on its systematic behavior. It i
s shown that the spectral shape is directly related to the damping width of
collective rotation, Gamma(rot), and to the spreading width of many-partic
le many-hole configurations, Gamma(mu). The rotational damping width is aff
ected by the shell structure, and is very sensitive to the position of the
Fermi surface, besides mass number, spill and deformation. This produces a
rich variety of features in the rotational damping phenomena.