Contribution of structural order–disorder to the room-temperature photoluminescence of lead zirconate titanate powders

International audienceIntense and broad visible photoluminescent (PL) band was observed at room temperature in structurally disordered PbZr0:53Ti0:47O3 powders. The lead zirconate titanate PbZr0:53Ti0:47O3 powders prepared by the polymeric precursor method and heat treated at different temperatures were structurally characterized at long range by means of X-ray diffraction. The PL was measured at room temperature samples heat treated at different temperatures. Experimental measurements and quantum-mechanical calculations showed that the high structural order and the high structural disorder in PbZr0:53Ti0:47O3 lattice are not favorable to the intense PL emission. Only samples containing simultaneous structural order and disorder in their lattice present the intense visible PL emission at room temperature