Ionic Conductivity of Rubidium Iodide Crystals

Abstract

The ionic conductivity of pure and strontium-doped rubidium iodide crystals was measured as a function of temperature. Eight transport parameters were calculated from the conductivity results by a nonlinear regression computation. The values obtained for the transport parameters were: Schottky defect formation enthalpy hs = 2.1 eV, entropy ss = 0.5 × 10−3 eV/deg; positive-ion vacancy migration enthalpy Δh1 = 0.60 eV, entropy Δs1 = 0.14 × 10−3 eV/deg; negative-ion vacancy migration enthalpy Δh2 = 1.6 eV, entropy Δs2 = 0.13 × 10−3 eV/deg; association enthalpy of strontium ions and positive-ion vacancies χ = 0.58 eV, entropy η = 0.22 × 10−3 eV/deg. Rubidium carbonate was found to have a negligible solid solubility in rubidium iodide, so that conductivity measurements could not be made on anion-doped crystals. The negative-ion vacancy migration parameters are thus not as accurately determined as the other transport parameters.