The near-Earth space radiation environment is a complex system that creates a harmful environment for materials to operate in. Motivated by the search for using optical defects as an indicator of radiation damage, five single-crystal functional ceramic materials were selected to undergo ion irradiation at conditions found in the near-Earth space environment. Due to the complex nature of ion irradiation effects in ceramic materials, a host of calculations and experimental characterization methods were used. Calculations using the 2013 SRIM code were used to evaluate the ion projected range and the type and number of defects (vacancies) created by ion irradiation. Structural characterization by Raman spectroscopy was combined with results from UV-visible spectroscopy, radioluminescence, and thermoluminescence to determine changes induced by ion irradiation. This work revealed that the structure and optical properties are sensitive to ion irradiation and can be experimentally characterized by the methods used
