Impurity centers and defects

Electron beam-induced color and phosphorescence centers in transparent ceramics based on yttria with additives of zirconium and ytterbium

V. I. Solomonov, A. S. Makarova, A. V. Spirina, V. V. Osipov, A. N. Orlov, V. A. Shitov

Institute of Electrophysics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg

Abstract: After irradiation with nanosecond (2 ns) electron beams with an average energy of 170 keV, initially colorless transparent ceramic samples of Y$_2$O$_3$ + 5 mol.%ZrO$_2$ and Yb:Y$_2$O$_3$ + 5 mol.%ZrO$_2$ compositions are colored. At the same time, transmittance spectra of the ceramics show an absorption band at 487 nm, which, along with the color intensity, increases with increasing number of irradiation pulses. After being irradiated, the ceramic color spontaneously restores with a time constant of about 80 h at room temperature. It is shown that the coloring of ceramics is caused by F-type centers. In addition, the Yb:Y$_2$O$_3$ + 5 mol.%ZrO$_2$ samples exhibit phosphorescence in a broad band of 890–1200 nm, the intensity of which decreases according to a hyperbolic law with a characteristic time of about 10 s. A model for the mechanisms of coloration and discoloration of the ceramics is proposed.

Keywords: light transmittance kinetics, nanopowder, transmittance spectrum, luminescence decay.

Received: 05.06.2025
Revised: 05.06.2025
Accepted: 26.06.2025

DOI: 10.61011/FTT.2025.06.60950.107-25

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