Large Polaron Tunneling Research Articles

Investigation of Charge Transfer Mechanism and Dielectric Relaxation in CsCdCl3 Perovskite

ABSTRACTThe exceptional optoelectronic capabilities of all‐inorganic metal halide perovskite semiconductor components open up a multitude of possible applications. Among all the metal halides, the chloride of cesium cadmium has not been investigated in great detail. Here, we describe a straightforward method for creating CsCdCl3 perovskite single crystals using the slow evaporation solution growth approach. These were investigated by utilizing X‐ray powder diffraction, and optical and impedance spectroscopies. The creation of a single‐phase with a hexagonal‐type structure was verified by the X‐ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data. The compound's semiconductor characteristics were verified by the optical measurement, indicating a direct band‐gap value of about 3.16 eV. The absorption and reflectance spectrum was also used to calculate and explain the optical extinction coefficient, Urbach energy, and skin depth as functions of the input photon's wavelength. Besides, the impedance spectroscopy technique was employed to investigate the characteristics of this component, across a frequency range of 10−1 Hz to 106 Hz and at temperatures ranging from 313 K to 453 K. The frequency behavior of the AC conductivity, σac, was analyzed using the universal Jonscher law. The outcomes of the charge transport investigation on CsCdCl3 imply that the perovskite material possessed a quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT) model for T < 363 K and a large polaron tunneling (OLPT) paradigm for T > 363 K. A correlation between the ionic conductivity and the crystal structure was established and discussed. Ultimately, the low dielectric loss and high dielectric constant of CsCdCl3 make it a promising material for energy harvesting devices.

Temperature-dependent dielectric measurements of polypyrrole/zinc cobalt oxide nanocomposites by impedance spectroscopy

This study characterizes the conduction mechanism in Zinc Cobalt oxide/Polypyrrole nanocomposites (ZCO/PPy NCs) concerning temperature (303–453 K) and frequency (100 Hz–1 MHz). To obtain the ZCO/PPy nanocomposites for the experiments, we used the in-situ chemical polymerization technique to disseminate varying weight percentages of ZCO nanoparticles (ZCO NPs) in the PPy matrix. The total electrical conductivity graph consists of a step-like feature of a plateau and dispersive regimes. The dispersive zone, which follows Jonscher's power law, correlates to AC conductivity, whereas the plateau region, which corresponds to DC conductivity, is thermally activated. The extracted DC conductivity values are of the order of 10‐4 S/m at 303 K. The conduction mechanism in ZCO/PPy nanocomposites is depicted by the Non-Overlapping Large Polaron Tunneling (NSPT) model. The dielectric studies confirm the non-Debye-like relaxation in PPy and ZCO/PPy NCs. In addition, the complex impedance and equivalent circuit analysis showed maximum contribution from grain and grain boundaries. The grain and grain boundary resistances are of the order of 103 Ω, depicting the electrical homogeneity in the PPy and ZCO/PPy nanocomposites.

Synthesis and study of structural, electric, and dielectric behavior of La0.5Sm0.2Sr0.3Mn1-xFexO3 perovskite

In this study, the synthesized samples La0.5Sm0.2Sr0.3Mn1-xFexO3 (x = 0.05, 0.15 and 0.20) were thoroughly investigated for their crystalline structure, electrical conductivity, and dielectric properties, the samples were prepared using autocombustion method. According to the X-ray diffraction study, the samples crystallized in an orthorhombic symmetry with the Pnma space group. To measure the dielectric characteristics, impedance spectroscopy was conducted over the temperature range of 100–260 K and a frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Measurements of AC conductivity are indeed utilized to investigate the transport properties of materials being studied. The results indicated that both temperature and frequency significantly influence the conduction process. Three theoretical hypotheses were proposed to explain the hopping conduction: overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT), the non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) mechanism, and correlated barrier hopping (CBH). It is also shown that the conductivity diminishes with an increase in Fe content. La0.5Sm0.2Sr0.3Mn1-xFexO3 (x = 0.05, 0.15 and 0.20) can be used in electronic applications because of the high permittivity values confirmed by the dielectric measurements. With the aim of evaluating the distinct impacts of electrodes, grain boundaries, and grains on the complex impedance results, an appropriate alternative electrical circuit was utilized. Analysis of the sample's modulus indicated non-Debye characteristics and electrical relaxation phenomena. The materials exhibit good electrical properties, as well as strong chemical and thermal stability.

Optical, AC conductivity and antibacterial activity enhancement of chitosan-silver nanocomposites for optoelectronic and biomedical applications

This study is aimed to prepare and investigate the optical, electrical and antibacterial activity of the environmentally friendly (green) chitosan (Cs)/silver nanocomposites. TEM demonstrated that AgNPs have a spherical shape with particle size ranged from 3 nm to 25 nm. UV analysis spectra of Cs and Cs/Ag nanocomposites showed that, increasing the content of AgNPs led to a noticeable increase in the values of Urbach energy (E U ) and a dramatic decrease in both the indirect (E ig ) and direct (E dg ) optical bandgap energies. It is found that (E ig ) and (E dg ) are decreased from (4.72/5.31 eV) to (2.47/4.19 eV). The formation of the AgNPs is verified by the existence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at ∼ (421–450) nm. Wemple-DiDomenico and Sellmeier oscillator models are employed and displayed a clear enrichment in the dispersion energy (E d ) and oscillator energy (E 0) as well as the linear and nonlinear optical parameters of Cs. It is observed that the linear (χ(1)) and nonlinear (χ(3) and n2) parameters are enhanced from 0.083, 0.868 × 10−14 and 1.584 × 10−12 to 0.153, 9.762 × 10−14 and 4.088 × 10−12. The novel results in our study nominate Cs/Ag nanocomposites for applications in linear/nonlinear optical devices. AC conductivity behavior of Cs and Cs/Ag nanocomposites is analyzed based on Jonscher’s law and the analysis showed that the overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) is the dominant conduction mechanism for our samples. It is clear that the values of dielectric constant (ε′) of Cs and Cs/Ag nanocomposites are higher confirming the presence of interface polarization (IP) relaxation. Moreover, it is found that the antibacterial activity of Cs against Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (B. thuringiensis) bacteria is found to be enhanced with increasing the content of Ag NPs. These results suggested that Cs/Ag nanocomposites will be good source for preparing bio-nanocomposites for use in many biomedical and industrial applications.

An investigation of the structure property relation of Na2MnWO6 for device application

This communication delves into the structural, microstructural, dielectric, impedance, modulus, and optical properties of the double-perovskite ceramic Na2MnWO6. Our X-ray diffraction study revealed a multiphase crystal structure in this ceramic, a result of high-temperature mixed-oxide synthesis. Morphological studies indicated a nearly uniform grain scattering and distribution with minimal spaces. The Maxwell-Wagner model, by addressing alternative polarisation mechanisms, studied the frequency-dependent dielectric properties. Our study of temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity identified a ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition dielectric aberration. The material’s NTCR characteristic was determined using impedance analysis. Jonscher’s power law showed that the conduction mechanism follows the overlapping of large polaron tunnelling and correlated barrier hopping models, establishing the link between conductivity and frequency. Relaxation and conduction activation energies support electron hopping. UV spectroscopy revealed a band gap of 4.01 eV, and temperature-dependent resistance studies suggest a potential use in thermistors with due parameters. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of NMWO, paving the way for its potential uses in electronics and optics, owing to its unique structural, electrical, and optical features.

Investigation of thermal, optical properties, AC conductivity and broadband dielectric spectroscopy of poly(ethyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl chloride) polymer blend

This work reports the structural, thermal, optical and electrical properties of PEMA, PVC and their polyblends. These properties are investigated by FTIR, TGA, UV/Vis and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. FTIR spectra showed that the characteristic bands of PEMA and PVC are affected by blending and displayed red and blue shifts confirming that an intermolecular interaction between PEMA and PVC is occurred. Thermal degradation kinetics of PEMA, PVC and its polyblend samples is investigated in details and the thermal properties of each decomposition stage are estimated. UV measurements analysis revealed that Urbach energy (EU) is increased while optical bandgap decreased upon increasing the PVC content. The indirect and direct band gap (Eig/Edg) values are decreased from (3.95/4.21) to (3.10/3.92) eV. Also, upon increasing the content of PVC, the lattice dielectric constant (εL) is increased from 2.71 to 7.83. Wemple-DiDomenico model is applied for investigating the refractive index dispersion and to calculate the oscillator and dispersion energies. It is observed that the linear/nonlinear parameters are increased nonlinearly with increasing the PVC content. χ(1), χ(3) and n2 values are found to increase from 0.104, 0.213 × 10−13 and 4.01 × 10−12 to 0.363, 31.26 × 10−13 and 5.33 × 10−12. These results make PEMA/PVC polyblend strong candidates for use in the development and design of advanced optoelectronic devices. AC conductivity (σac) and dielectric measurements are carried out at various temperatures in wide frequency range. Jonscher power law is applied and showed that the predominant conduction mechanism in our samples is overlapping large-polaron tunneling (OLPT). The dielectric constant and electrical impedance are found to be frequency and temperature dependent. The investigation of the electric modulus (M*) revealed that M′ is increased non-linearly with increasing the frequency, while M″ spectra displayed two different modes of relaxation. The interfacial polarization (IP) is observed in low frequency region, while, dipolar relaxation is detected in high frequency region.

Exploring the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of Fe and Y substituted NiCr2O4

This paper presents the successful single phase synthesis of NiCr2O4 and NiFe0.50Cr1.50-xYxO4 (x = 0 – 0.08) compounds followed by an investigation into their structural, magnetic and dielectric properties. The structural analysis confirms tetragonal structure for NiCr2O4 while a partially inverse cubic spinel structure for Fe and Y substituted samples (x = 0 – 0.08). Fe substitution (x = 0) induces a shift in room temperature hysteresis loop behaviour from paramagnetic to ferrimagnetic, suggesting enhanced superexchange interactions and a significant rise in magnetic transition temperature beyond room temperature. However, it is found that further inclusion of Y (x = 0.04 – 0.08) leads to a slight weakening of superexchange interactions. The saturation magnetization increases with Y substitution, while coercivity and magnetocrystalline anisotropy follows a decreasing trend. The complex impedance studies unveil a relaxation phenomenon and the dielectric constant is found to increase with the substitution of Fe and Y. Analysis of temperature dependent ac conductivity data and the frequency exponent profile suggests small polaron hopping as the predominant transport mechanism up to 380 K in NiCr2O4 and x = 0 samples, shifting to large polaron hopping beyond this temperature. In samples with x =0.04 and 0.06 the transport mechanism is found to follow the small polaron tunneling model. However, in the x = 0.08 sample, large polaron tunneling becomes predominant beyond 365 K.

Polaron-mediated transport and relaxation phenomena in the lead zinc niobate (PZN) modified bismuth ferrite solid solution

To investigate the dielectric and conductivity properties of PZN modified BF solid solution high temperature mixed oxide technique is employed. The material is subjected to analysis using XRD, SEM, and impedance spectroscopy. A polycrystalline PZN-BF sample with an average crystallite size of 63.3 nm has been formed. The scanning electron micrographs show that the grains and grain boundaries are distributed suitably. dielectric characteristics of the 0.1PZN-0.9BF compound are studied at frequencies ranging from 1 kHz to 1 MHz and temperatures ranging from ambient temperature to 400 °C. The confined mobility of charge carriers causes nearly continuous loss (NCL) behavior at low temperatures (<200 °C). High-temperature relaxation resulting from charge carrier hopping induces maximum loss and elevated conductivity. Rendering to the Overlapping Large Polaron Tunnelling (OLPT) model of conductivity, the transport mechanism in this modified BiFeO3 (BF) compound is facilitated by the short-range hopping of polarons. The NTCR behavior from Arrhenius plot of ac conductivity and temperature independent conductivity relaxation from loss modulus (M'') analysis are demonstrated. Sensors, actuators, and optoelectronic devices can benefit from the PZN-modified BF compound's electrical and dielectric characteristics, which have been studied in detail.

Defect/disorder correlated modification of transport properties from hopping to tunneling processes in BaTiO3–LaFeO3 solid solution

Crystal structure, bandgap, and the changes in the charge conduction mechanisms in ceramics are interrelated, and the underlying physics unifies all these different phenomena. The experimental and theoretical evaluation of the electronic properties of the solid solution of (1 − x)BaTiO3–(x)LaFeO3 (x = 0, 0.015, 0.031, 0.062) is attempted in this work. Bandgap was observed to be tunable with La/Fe doping from 3.2 eV (x = 0) to 2.6 eV (x = 0.06), while the lattice disorder was found to increase. A theoretical assessment confirms a considerable shift of valence band maxima and conduction band minima with an introduction of additional defect states within the bandgap. Electron localization was also confirmed theoretically with doping. Such changes in the electronic properties were experimentally confirmed from dielectric/AC - conductivity/impedance spectroscopy studies. From different transportation models, hopping is a preferred mechanism in the less distorted BaTiO3. However, a large polaron tunneling process can be justified for the doped samples at lower temperatures. Only at higher temperatures, a small polaron tunneling can be justified for the doped samples. The transportation is affected by the grain boundaries as much as the grains themselves. A complete analysis using Nyquist plots reveals the competing contributions of these regions to the transportation mechanism and is correlated to the disorder/distortions in the lattice in terms of the formation of oxygen vacancies.

Electrolytic performance of sodium alginate-poly vinyl alcohol matrix with ammonium bromide for proton conduction: Applications in electrochemical systems

Polymer blend electrolytes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium alginate (NaAlg) were prepared using the solution casting method. These electrolytes were doped with varying amounts of ammonium bromide (NH4Br). The compatibility of NH4Br with PVA:NaAlg polymers was examined through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) studies. The FTIR assessment confirmed the formation of a complex between PVA:NaAlg and the added salt, as evidenced by modifications and reductions in the intensity of FTIR bands related to functional groups. The conductivity and dielectric behavior of the samples were analyzed using AC impedance spectroscopy. The sample with 20 wt% of added salt exhibited a higher ionic conductivity of 1.661×10−5 Scm−1. Activation energy and relaxation time were estimated, and dielectric studies revealed a non-Debye nature. The conduction mechanism was best described by the correlated overlapping large polaron tunneling model (OLPT). The highest conducting sample was found to be suitable for electrochemical devices, as demonstrated by transference number (TNM), cyclic volumetric (CV), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analyses. This high-conductivity sample can be employed in electrochemical devices such as EDLC. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) curve exhibited a nearly rectangular shape with non-faradaic peaks. GCD(Galvanostatic charge-discharge) analysis yielded specific capacitance, power density, and energy density values of 125.01 Fg−1, 1037 WKg−1, and 14.06 WhKg−1 respectively. These results indicate that polymer electrolytes show great promise as electrolytes in proton-conducting electrochemical devices.

Dy3+ and Sm3+ ratio variation effects on electrical properties of lithium fluoride bismuth borate glass system

Since less attention was paid to study of electric properties of glasses doped with RE ions, in present work conductivity (AC and DC) and dielectric properties of Dysprosium (Dy3+) and Samarium (Sm3+) ion co-doped 60B2O3•30LiF•10Bi2O3 glasses were examined. Conventional melt quench method was used to synthesize the amorphous glass samples. It was observed that dc conductivity obeyed the Arrhenius law and the ac conductivity followed Jonscher's Power Law. The Conductivity mechanism was investigated on the basis of the trend followed by frequency exponent “s” parameter and all the compositions satisfied the Overlapping large polaron tunnelling (OLPT) model. Dielectric properties: Dielectric Constant (ε′), Dielectric loss (ε'′) and tangent loss (tanδ) were also investigated and observed to decrease with frequency and finally attained a minimum constant value at higher frequencies. The high rate of change in dielectric properties at low frequencies was attributed to space charge polarization while at higher frequencies it was decreased due to inertia of ions. Cole-Cole plots encompasses depressed semicircular arcs which evidenced the presence of constant phase element and non-Debye relaxation behaviour.

An investigation of structural, thermal, and electrical conductivity properties for understanding transport mechanisms of CuWO4 and α-CuMoO4 compounds.

Recently, inorganic oxide components with high ionic conductivity have been widely explored due to their high stability, safety, and energy density properties. In this context, the present work focuses on the inorganic oxides CuMO4 (M = W, Mo), which have been successfully synthesized using the traditional solid-state method. They were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, and complex impedance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction data refined via the Rietveld method indicated that these compounds are well crystallized in the triclinic system with the P1̄ space group. Besides, the electrical conductivity behavior of these materials was analyzed using the impedance spectroscopy technique in the frequency range of 100 to 106 Hz and in the temperature range of 443 K to 563 K. The absence of a phase transition observed in the calorimetric study was confirmed by the σg and ωh variations as a function of temperature. The AC conductivity was analyzed by Jonscher's power law. The outcomes of the study on charge transportation in CuMO4 (where M = W, Mo) suggest that the overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) mechanism was present in CuMoO4, while the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) and the non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) were present in CuWO4. A correlation between the crystal structure and the ionic conductivity was established and discussed. For the two title compounds, modulus analysis revealed that the charge carriers were mobile over short and long distances at low and high frequencies, respectively. The temperature variation of the M'' peak showed a thermally activated relaxation process.

Detailed phase evolution analysis, electrical and ferroelectric properties of SrBi2Nb2O9–Bi4Ti3O12 intergrowth Aurivillius phase ceramics

A polycrystalline sample with 2–3 layered intergrowth SrBi2Nb2O9–Bi4Ti3O12 (SrBi6Nb2Ti3O21) ceramics was synthesized by solid-state reaction route using a two-step calcination process. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and structural refinement revealed pure SrBi6Nb2Ti3O21 phase formation that crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal structure with a ‘I2cm’ space group. The d-spacing values evaluated from HR-TEM were consistent with the standard XRD. Microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) justifies grain formation of average size ∼4.81 μm possessing plate-like morphology. The ε vs T curves showed two dielectric anomalies at ∼250 °C–350 °C and ∼600 °C–700 °C. The diffuse dielectric peaks depict the relaxor behavior of the ceramics. The conduction mechanism is found to follow the overlapping large polaron tunneling model (OLPT), which elucidates the temperature dependence of power-law exponent ‘s’ and ac conductivity. The relaxation mechanism follows the Maxwell-Wagner relaxation behavior. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop and Positive Up Negative Down (PUND) polarization test confirm the ferroelectric nature of SrBi6Nb2Ti3O21 intergrowth ceramics and the existence of a small value of intrinsic switchable polarization.

Dielectric behavior and impedance spectroscopy of Niobium substituted Lanthanum based orthovanadates at high temperatures

We present the detailed study of the temperature dependent dielectric properties, impedance spectroscopy and electrical conductivity of LaV1−xNbxO4 (x=0–1) samples prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The dielectric constant (ϵr′) increases (decreases) with increase in the temperature (frequency); while, the magnitude of ϵr′ remains almost invariant (order of 104 at 100 Hz and 600 °C) with x. The single phase x=0 (monoclinic-monazite, P21/n) and x=1 (monoclinic fergusonite, I2/a) samples show the lower values of loss factor [tanδ= (4–8)] as compared to the x=0–0.8 samples [tanδ= (12–18)] having mixed tetragonal and monoclinic phases, which indicates the strong correlation between the crystal structure and the dielectric properties. The real part of impedance (Z′) decreases with both temperature and frequency, and the observed weak relaxation remains almost unaltered with x. The imaginary part of impedance (Z′′) shows strong relaxation peaks shifting towards higher temperatures with frequency, which is attributed to the effect of grains, grain boundaries, and electrodes in the samples. The activation energy of the relaxation process is estimated to be 0.8–1.0 eV for the x=0–0.6 samples, and ≈1.4 eV for the x=0.8; whereas the x=1 sample shows two values (≈0.5 eV and ≈1.0 eV) in the higher and lower temperature range, respectively. Further, the change in total conductivity with the angular frequency, which found to be in the range of 10−3 to 10−5 S/m, is fitted using the Jonsher power law. The analysis suggests the overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) model for all the samples, whereas the x = 1 sample exhibit a transition near 480 °C and at higher temperatures it shows non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) and quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT). This transition is corroborated by the tangent loss curves and may be associated with the change in structure.

Effects of Ce3+ doping on magnetic and dielectric properties of cobalt zinc manganese ferrites for high frequency applications

In this paper, a constant quantity of Co2+ ions and a series of Ce3+ ions were used to substitute Fe3+ ions to control the magnetic and electrical properties of the pristine Zn–Mn nanoferrites with the formula Co0.5Zn0.25Mn0.25CexFe2-xO4 (CZMC). The addition of a suitable content of Ce3+ ions (x = 0.1) enhanced the magnetization (with an enhancing ratio of 9.43 %), initial permeability (with an enhancing ratio of 31.06 %), and coercivity (with a decreasing ratio of 12.86 %). The CZMC nanoferrites can operate from 13.5 GHz to 16.5 GHz, which can be utilized in high frequency-based technical purposes such as magnetic memories, filters, and transformer cores. The AC conductivity results of the CZMC nanoferrites are in correspondence with Jonscher's single-power law, and the conduction mechanism is established to be attributed to the overlapping large-polaron tunneling model. Nyquist plots of the samples revealed that the diameters of the semicircles decrease as the temperature increases, confirming the semiconducting behavior with one semicircle due to the electrode and grain boundary contributions to the conduction process. The high-frequency response of the CZMC nanoferrites revealed that they could operate in the frequency range of 13.5 GHz–16.5 GHz, which is suitable for electronic and microwave devices. The dielectric loss value reduces with Ce replacement (with a decreasing ratio of 66 %), suggesting it might be a candidate for planar inductor and transformer cores at high-frequency applications.

Structural, dielectric, impedance, and electric modulus characteristics of Y2CaCuO5 high-k dielectric ceramics

With the increasing trends of integrated circuit densification, device miniaturization, and exponential growth of microelectronic components there is a huge responsibility on the part of material researchers to derive, design, and develop new materials. Materials that can overcome the existing limitations in the present compounds available in the market or can expedite the process of material fabrication are of great interest. This feat can be achieved by the fabrication of new materials, and analysis of various characterizations viz. (structural, dielectric, transport behavior, and impedance spectroscopy). With this perspective, in this communication, a high permittivity dielectric material belonging to the Y-Ba-Cu-O ternary systems where barium is replaced by calcium (Y2CaCuO5) is synthesized using solid-state reaction route. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron micrograph, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic study confirm the phase and microstructure of the sample. The observed higher value of the dielectric constant is understood from Koop’s phenomenological theory and internal barrier layer capacitance model. The dispersive behavior of conductivity is interpreted by Jonscher’s power law. Overlapping large polaron tunneling model for conduction is observed. Impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals non-Debye type of relaxation with variable time constants. According to Nyquist plots; up to 250 °C only grain effect (bulk) is dominantly present; however, at higher temperatures, the contribution from both grain and grain boundary is seen.

Studies of structural, dielectric, conductivity, leakage current mechanism, and efficiency of complex electroceramic

Bismuth ferrites are quite interesting because of their high conductivity and dielectric constant. Recent times now need innovative materials with high mechanical strength, minimal energy loss, and cost effective. The analysis of X-ray diffraction pattern/data and scanning electron micrograph provides the formation of complex bismuth ferrite containing lithium and tungsten of a composition Bi1/2Li1/2Fe1/2W1/2O3, with monoclinic symmetry. The relation between the electrical and dielectric characteristics was examined in the frequency region from 1 kHz to 1 MHz at different temperatures (25–500 °C). The electrical conductivity experiments on the compound containing lithium and tungstate produced some exciting findings. As the frequency increases, the ac resistivity showing decreasing trend with small resistance and large conductivity. With the help of non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT) and overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) models, temperature-frequency dependent conduction mechanisms have been explained. When electrical characteristics are examined using impedance spectroscopy (non-Debye relaxation), the contributions of grain and grain boundaries effect in the material are observed in the material. The Ohmic and Space Charge Limited Current conduction mechanism (SCLC) were found at low and high electric field (voltage) under forward bias current-voltage situations. The energy storage efficiency of the material is 61.80 %, obtained at room temperature with an applied electric field (−3 to +3 kV/cm) at a frequency of 50 kHz from the hysteresis loop. It implies that the material is promising for pulsed power energy storage capacitors.

Charge transport mechanism, dielectric relaxations and relaxor ferroelectric properties of Sm2MgMnO6 double perovskite

This study investigates the charge transport mechanism, dielectric relaxation and relaxor ferroelectric properties of Sm2MgMnO6 which exhibits monoclinic crystal structure with space group P21/n. The charge carriers conduction mechanism in the temperature range 150 K–239 K and 244 K–304 K are correlated barrier hopping (CBH) and overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT), respectively. The maximum barrier height associated to CBH model is 0.26 meV. The dc activation energy associated to CBH and OLPT model are 0.11 eV and 0.91 eV respectively. The polaron hopping energy associated to Mott's variable range hopping model is 0.11 eV at 244 K. The value of tanδ varies from 0.004 to 3.329 in temperature range 151.07 K–306.87 K and frequency range 1 kHz–800 kHz. The temperature variation of ε′, ε″ and tanδ shows a single relaxation which follows Vogel–Fulcher (VF) law. The VF law and the shape of P–E hysteresis loop confirms the relaxor ferroelectric nature of the studied material. The saturated polarization (PMax), remnant polarization (Pr) and coercive field (Ec) depend on both the electric field (E0) and frequency (f). The loop area (A′) and dielectric breakdown field (EBD) depend on E0 as A′∝E02 and EBD∝E0, respectively. The PMax, Pr and Ec depend on f as PMax∝f−0.13, Pr∝f−0.48 and Ec∝f−0.48, respectively. The energy storage efficiency (η) varies with frequency as: η%=20.44f0.21.

First-principles and experimental study of structural, electronic, and enhanced dielectric response in Bi2Ca1.95Sm0.05CoO6 nanoparticles

In this study, we synthesized Bi2Ca1.95Sm0.05CoO6 (BCSCO) by the Co-precipitation route. X-ray diffraction was used for structural analysis, which confirmed the monoclinic structure with space group P21/m. Here, we employ the CASTEP (Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package) approach, we conducted a theoretical investigation of the structure, electronic, and optical properties of BCSCO double perovskites. FTIR spectra, BCSCO presents three absorption bands that correspond to the Bi(Ca)-O, O-Co-O, and Co-O. The morphological study showing the agglomeration phenomenon has occurred in the synthesized sample. The AC conductivity and dielectric response have also been studied as a function of frequency (100 Hz-3 MHz) at different temperatures (100 °C-600 °C). Temperature-dependent dielectric relaxation was investigated, and employing the non-linear Debye fitting to determine the spreading factor and relaxation time. The maximum value of the dielectric constant is 2.4 × 106 at 600 °C. AC conductivity is examined at (100 °C-600 °C) using Jonscher’s power law. The model fitting shows the Overlapping Large Polaron Tunneling conduction mechanism for BCSCO. In order to explore the impact of grain barriers and interior, the Nyquist plot was utilized, and the results are inter-connected.

Structural, electrical and dielectric properties of ZnFe2O4/Cu2S 3D heterostructures

This work reports the fabrication of zinc ferrite-copper sulphide (ZnFe2O4/Cu2S) 3D heterostructures and subsequent investigation of the spectroscopic behaviour of various electrical parameters like conductivity, impedance and dielectric loss. The study reveals a non-monotonic behaviour of the real component of impedance (Z’), while the imaginary component of impedance (Z’) exhibits a temperature-dependent relaxation frequency, with an estimated activation energy (E a ) of 220.13 meV. The dc conductivity (σ dc ) measurements reveal the semiconducting nature of the sample and a transition from a ferrimagnetic to a paramagnetic behaviour is reported at the Curie temperature of 327 K. In case of ac conductivity (σ ac ), Jonscher’s power law σ ac = Aω n is followed and the exponent n is found to lie in the range 0.679–0.735 at different temperatures, which is best fitted into a polynomial of degree six. The temperature variation of n is suggestive of the overlapping large polaron tunnelling (OLPT) model. Further, ac activation energy (E ac ) is also calculated, which is found to be smaller than the dc activation energy (E dc ), indicating electron hopping between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions. The numerically computed staying time (τ) of electrons in Fe3+/Fe2+ ionic sites varies with frequency as well as with temperature, ranging from 10−6s to 10−19s. A significant decrease in dielectric loss (tanδ) to the tune of 99% (from 75 at ∼100 Hz to 0.89 at ∼1 MHz) is reported at room temperature. In the present scenario, when smart materials like spinel ferrites have garnered significant attention for their promising magnetic and electric properties, our studies of the ZnFe2O4/Cu2S 3D heterostructures may provide immense possibilities for tailored applications in various electromagnetic applications.