Generation of colour centres in yttria-stabilized zirconia by heavy ion irradiations in the GeV range.

摘要: We have studied the colour centre production in yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO2:Y3 + ) by heavy ion irradiation GeV range using on-line UV–visible optical absorption spectroscopy. Experiments were performed with 11.4  MeV amu − 1 127Xe, 197Au, 208Pb and 238U irradiations at 8 K or room temperature (RT). A broad asymmetrical band peaked a wavelength about 500 nm is recorded regardless of parameters, agreement previous RT ions 100 MeV range. This de-convoluted into two Gaussian-shaped bands centred photon energies 2.4 3.1 eV that are respectively associated F -type centres (involving singly ionized oxygen vacancy, VO·) T (i.e. Zr3 trigonal symmetry) observed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) In case Au low fluences, six used 1.9, 2.3, 2.7, 3.1 4.0 eV. The three near 2.0–2.5 eV can be assigned to divacancies (i.e.  F2 centres). No significant effect found on widths all for same fluence. attributed inhomogeneous broadening arising from static disorder due native charge-compensating vacancies. However, yield strongly enhanced respect RT. When heating irradiated samples RT, extra produced do not recover completely level irradiation. latter results accounted an electronically driven defect recovery process.