Yttrium-doped barium zirconate is a solid electrolyte
with several
properties that are advantageous for fuel cells. We measure photoluminescence
and photoluminescence excitation spectra of anhydrous yttrium-doped
barium zirconate to characterize the atomic arrangement near the oxygen
vacancy because the local structure is known to strongly influence
the protonic conduction. The photoluminescence spectra of our anhydrous
sintered pellets are composed of three components: recombination at
the grain boundary region, recombination at a vacancy defect with
an unpaired electron, and the transition of the electronic state of
the oxygen vacancy. From the peak position of the latter photoluminescence
component and the corresponding photoluminescence excitation spectrum,
we can obtain information on the atomic arrangement that Zr is adjacent
to the oxygen vacancies. This information is important for the design
of materials with high protonic conductivity.