Fluorescence of Eu3+ as a probe of phase transformation of zirconia

In this work, the effects of phase transformation of zirconia on the fluorescence properties of Eu3+ were investigated. Monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic zirconia samples were prepared using a solid state reaction method at high temperature by controlling Y3+ doping concentration. The crystal structure of the as-prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. The fluorescence properties of the samples were characterized by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime. The relationship between the crystal structure and fluorescence properties were further examined. The results showed that the crystal structure of zirconia has a very important relationship with the fluorescence properties of Eu3+. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.