Usefulness of theoretical approaches and experiential conductivity measurements for understanding manganite-transport mechanisms

Abstract

Experimental measurements and numerous theoretical models have been employed to comprehend the dynamics of charge carriers in manganite system. The present work highlights the electrical transport of La0.5Ca0.4Ag0.1MnO3 compound in the temperature range [80 K–700 K]. It is found that the conductivity spectra of the studied sample present a double Jonscher variation, universal Jonscher evolution and Drude variation respectively for low, intermediate and high temperature ranges. The temperature dependence of the frequency exponent confirms the efficiency of the quantum mechanical tunneling, the non-overlapping small polaron tunneling and the correlated barrier hopping mechanisms at separated dispersive regions. DC conductivity analysis confirms the semiconductor behavior of the studied sample. Then, the transport properties have been explained in term of a thermally activated small polaron hopping and Mott-variable range hopping processes respectively at high and low temperature sides. Also, the disorder energy is predicted to decrease with rising frequency which could be due to variation in the separation path between the hop centers. Moreover, Greaves variable range hopping model is the suitable one that describes the transport properties in the intermediate temperature range. The scaling approach indicates that the time temperature superposition principle is valid in the temperature side [180 K–360 K].