On the AC-conductivity mechanism in nano-crystalline Se79−xTe15In6Pbx (x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) alloys

In-depth analysis of complex AC-conductivity for nano-crystalline Se79-xTe15In6Pbx (x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 at wt%) alloys is made in the temperature range 308-423 K and over the frequency range 10−1-107 Hz, to understand the conduction mechanism. The investigated nano-crystalline alloys were prepared by melt-quench technique. Sharp structural peaks in X-ray diffraction pattern indicate the nano-crystalline nature, which is also confirmed by FESEM. The AC conductivity shows universal characteristics and at higher frequency a transition from dc to dispersive behavior occurs. Moreover, it is confirmed that ac conductivity (σac) obeys the Jonscher power law as ~ ωs (s< 1). The obtained results are analyzed in the light of various theoretical models. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model associated with non-intimate valence alternation pairs (NVAP's) is found most appropriate to describe the conduction mechanisms in these alloys. In addition, the CBH model description reveals that the bipolaron (single polaron) transport dominates at lower (higher) temperature. The density of localized states has also been deduced.