Photoluminescence in amorphous zirconium titanate

Abstract

Photoluminescence at room temperature was observed in amorphous zirconium titanate obtained from the polymeric precursor method. This was the first time in which PL was noticed in an amorphous compound made of two network formers. The PL spectra could be deconvoluted into two bands, whose center 1 was located from 540 nm to 552 nm and center 2 from 625 nm to 641 nm. The co-existence of fivefold and sixfold oxygen coordination of titanium and/or zirconium could be the origin of the radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs in amorphous ZT, which may be responsible for the emission of the photoluminescence.