Correlation of microscopic length scales of ion dynamics with network structure in lithium-iodide–doped lithium metaphosphate glasses

Abstract

In this paper we have studied the correlation of microscopic length scales of ion dynamics with the network structure in lithium-iodide–doped lithium metaphosphate glasses. We have obtained microscopic length scales for ion dynamics, such as the characteristic mean square displacement and the spatial extent of sub-diffusive motion of the lithium ions. We have observed that the lithium ions have to travel a smaller distance to overcome the nearest percolation barriers in order to perform long-range diffusion. The phosphate chain lengths shorten with the addition of lithium iodide to metaphosphate glasses. We have also studied the network structure of these glasses, and a correlation between the length scales of ion dynamics and the network structure has been obtained.