The influence of intrinsic and impurity defects on the luminescent properties of zirconia

The paper presents the results of the study of the effect of oxygen vacancies and titanium impurity ions on the luminescent properties complex of zirconium dioxide samples obtained from nanopowders (70-105 nm). Anion vacancies were formed in the studied samples by high-temperature treatment (1400 degrees C) in vacuum (with carbon as a reducing agent and without it), as well as under irradiation with fast electrons (10 MeV). The presence of oxygen vacancies in thermochemically and radiation-colored samples was proved by using the EPR method. It was established that thermochemical coloring, in contrast to the radiation one, leads to a significant increase in the intensity of PCL, PL, and TL in the 2.6 eV band. In addition, the luminescence at 2.6 eV is sensitive to the concentration of titanium impurity. The obtained results allow a connection between the luminescence band at 2.6 eV and oxygen vacancies to be established. It was hypothesized that this luminescence was caused by defective complexes containing oxygen vacancies and impurity ions which can be Ti3+ ions.