Ionic conductivity of BaF2 + ZnF2 + CdF2 + YbF3 optical fluoride ceramic

Abstract

The electrical conductivity of an optical fluoride ceramic in the quaternary system BaF₂ + ZnF₂ + CdF₂ + YbF₃ has been determined in the temperature range 338–722 K using impedance spectroscopy (5 to 5 × 10⁵ Hz). The 500-K ionic conductivity of the ceramic is σ = 3.3 × 10^–4 S/cm, which corresponds to the electrical characteristics of single crystals of the best conducting nonstoichiometric M_1–xR_xF_{2 + x} (M = Sr, Ba; R = La–Nd; x = 0.3–0.5) fluorite phases. We have observed nonmonotonic variation (breaks) in temperature-dependent σ, which is due to competing fluoride ion transport processes in different parts of the ceramic sample. The highly conductive state of the BaF₂ + ZnF₂ + CdF₂ + YbF₃ fluoride ceramic seems to be due to the formation of structural regions corresponding to a Ba_1–xYb_xF_{2 + x} solid solution.