SPECTROSCOPIC AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC PROPERTIES OF STOICHIOMETRIC NA1-XTA1-XEU2XO3 SOLID-SOLUTION

In this paper, the NaTaO3-Eu2O3 solid solution has been characterized by x-ray powder diffraction and density measurements. It shows to exis t over a very limited range of europium concentration, with a general formula Na1-xTa1-xEu2xO3 (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.02) Within the range of compositions of the solid solutions, the optical properties (emission and excitation spectra) of our powder sa mples were also analyzed, and the results are in good agreement with t he proposed mechanism for the europium substitution Na+ + Ta5+ <----> 2Eu(3+), where the Eu3+ ions enter the sodium sites as well as the tan talate positions in the lattice of NaTaO3.