ESR study of color centers in yttria stabilized zirconia

The ESR of single crystals of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), containing color centers due to reduction in a flowing H₂ atmosphere, has been measured at room temperature. The spin density is about 3 × 10¹⁷ cm^?3 and the strong ESR line displays axial symmetry with principal values g₆ = 1.989, g_⊥ = 1.860.The behaviour of the ESR spectra when the magnetic field is rotated about the 〈1 0 0〉 and 〈1 1 0〉 directions shows that the centers have axial symmetry, the symmetry axis being along the 〈111〉 and equivalent directions. The derivative peak to peak envelope width is g-dependent and varies from 18 Gauss at g = 1.989 to 65 Gauss at g = 1.860. The results are interpretable in terms of an electron trapped at an oxygen vacancy adjacent to an yttrium ion.