Preparation and optical properties of samaria-doped yttria-stabilized zirconia single crystals

Single crystals of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) doped with various concentrations of Sm 2 O 3 were synthesized by the optical floating zone method, and their structure and spectroscopic properties characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, and luminescence measurements. XRD showed that the cubic phase of ZrO 2 was stabilized by addition of Y 2 O 3 and a series of absorption peaks characteristic of Sm 3+ was detected by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Three phenomenological J-O oscillator strength parameters Ω t ( t = 2, 4, 6) were calculated to evaluate the local structure and bonding in the vicinity of the Sm 3+ for the 0.75 mol% Sm 2 O 3 : YSZ sample. These were in order of Ω 2 < Ω 4 < Ω 6 with values of Ω 2 = 5.46 × 10 −20 cm 2 , Ω 4 = 10.70 × 10 −20 cm 2 , and Ω 6 = 12.67 × 10 −20 cm 2 , and indicate a relatively high symmetry and low covalent character for the Sm-O bond at the Sm 3+ sites in the YSZ matrix. Photoluminescence spectra recorded under an excitation of 404 nm showed four emission bands centered at 571 nm, 621 nm, 652 nm, and 716 nm corresponding to the transitions 4 G 5/2 → 6 H j ( j = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2, 11/2). The transition probability, lifetime, and branching ratio obtained from the emission spectrum of the 0.75 mol% Sm 2 O 3 : YSZ crystal showed that YSZ is a potential host for Sm 3+ to achieve a reddish-orange laser output, and the Sm 3+ -modified YSZ crystals have a possible use in reddish-orange laser and lighting devices.