Local atomic structure in cubic stabilized zirconia

Abstract

X-ray-absorption fine structure measurements have been used to elucidate the local atomic structure of quaternary Zr, Y, Er, Ce/U cubic stabilized zirconia. These compounds display more complicated local environments than those reported for simpler binary systems. While the shortest cation-O distances are similar to those found in the binary cubic stabilized compounds, responding to the different sizes of the cations, we have identified large distortions in the first-shell oxygen distribution involving long, 2.8–3.2 Å cation-O distances that are similar to those found in the amorphous phase of zirconium. The cation-cation distributions are also found to be quite complicated (non-Gaussian) and element specific. The U-near neighbor distances are expanded relative to the Ce ions for which it substitutes, consistent with the larger size of the actinide, and the U-cation distribution is also more complicated. In terms of the effects of this substitution on the other cation sites, the local environment around Y is altered while the Zr and Er local environments remain unchanged. These results point out the importance of collective and correlated interactions between the different pairs of cations and the host lattice that are mediated by the local strain fields generated by the different cations. The presence of pair-specific couplings has not been commonly included in previous analyses and may have implications for the stabilization mechanisms of cubic zirconia. © 2001 The American Physical Society.