Optical Properties of Cubic Stabilized Zirconia

Optical absorption across the fundamental edge and the associated photoluminescence, have been studied in single crystals of yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) of varying yttrium concentration. The results allow discrimination of a region of intrinsic transitions (above 5.2 eV) from a low energy region, where disorder-induced transitions are dominating. The size of extra absorption in this range shows an inverse correlation to the stoichiometric ratio, to be interpreted in terms of progressive ordering of the vacancy system.