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

Intense and broad visible photoluminescent (PL) band was observed at room temperature in structurally disordered image powders. The lead zirconate titanate image 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 image 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.