Lanthanum oxide doping effect on dc electrical conductivity of ferroelectrics sodium vanadate and rubidium vanadate

Abstract

The temperature dependence of dc electrical conductivity was measured by two-probe technique in the vicinity of phase transition point for ferroelectrics sodium vanadate and rubidium vanadate doped with different concentrations of La₂O₃. These materials show a sharp change in conductivity at their phase transition temperatures. The results were found to obey the conventional exponential law and the activation energies were calculated for ferroelectric and paraelectric states. It was found that activation energy in ferroelectric phase is smaller than in the paraelectric phase. The activation energy increases slowly with increase in doping concentration of La₂O₃ up to 0·1 mol%, however, it decreases with further increase in doping concentration, in both ferro and para states. The dc electrical conductivity below the Curie temperature is of mixed type (ionic-electronic) while it is electronic type above the Curie temperature.