The I-V characteristics of four conducting polymer systems like doped polypyrrole (PPy), poly 3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT), polydiacetylene (PDA) and polyaniline (PA) in as many physical forms have been investigated at different temperatures, quenched disorder and magnetic fields. Transport data clearly show the existence of a single electric field scale for all systems. Based upon this observation, a phenomenological scaling analysis is performed, leading to extraction of a numerical value for a nonlinearity exponent called xM which serves to characterize a set of I-V curves. The conductivity starts deviating from an Ohmic value σ0 above an onset electric field Fo which scales according to Fo ∼ σ x M 0 . The electric field-dependent data are shown to be described by Glatzman-Matveev multi-step tunneling model [JETP 67, 1276[JETP 67, (1988] in a near-perfect manner over nine orders of magnitude in conductivity and five order of magnitudes in electric field. Furthermore, xM is found to possess both positive and negative values lying between -1/2 and 3/4. There is no theory at present for this exponent. Some issues concerning applicability of the Glatzman-Matveev model are discussed.

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We measured the real part of ac conductance Σ(x,f) or Σ(T,f) of iron-doped mixed-valent polycrystalline manganite oxides LaMn(1-x)Fe(x)O(3) as a function of frequency f by varying initial conductance Σ(0) by quenched disorder x at a fixed temperature T (room) and by temperature T at a fixed quenched disorder x. At a fixed temperature T, Σ(x,f) of a sample with fixed x remains almost constant at its zero-frequency dc value Σ(0) at lower frequency. With increase in f, Σ(x,f) increases slowly from Σ(0) and finally increases rapidly following a power law with an exponent s at high frequency. Scaled appropriately, the data for Σ(T,f) and Σ(x,f) fall on the same universal curve, indicating the existence of a general scaling formalism for the ac conductivity in disordered systems. The characteristic frequency f(c) at which Σ(x,f) or Σ(T,f) increases for the first time from Σ(0) scales with initial conductance Σ(0) as f(c) ~ Σ(0)(x(f)), where x(f) is the onset exponent. The value of x(f) is nearly equal to one and is found to be independent of x and T. Further, an inverse relationship between x(f) and s provides a self-consistency check of the systematic description of Σ(x,f) or Σ(T,f). This apparent universal value of x(f) is discussed within the framework of existing theoretical models and scaling theories. The relevance to other similar disordered systems is also highlighted.

The signature of various disordered phases is inferred from the measurement of the real part of alternating current conductance Σ(T, f) of a nanocrystalline double perovskite La2NiMnO6. The system exhibits a paramagnetic insulating (PMI) phase at high temperatures, a ferromagnetic insulating (FMI) phase at low temperatures, and a Griffiths-like phase in the intermediate temperature range. In these three phases, Σ(T, f) shows qualitatively similar variation with frequency f. At a fixed temperature T, Σ(T, f) remains constant to its Ohmic value Σ0 up to a certain frequency, known as the onset frequency fc and increases with increasing f beyond fc. Scaled appropriately, Σ(T, f) versus f data corresponding to these three regimes fall on the same master curve indicating the universal nature of the scaling behaviour of alternating current conductance. This onset frequency fc scales with Σ0 as fc∼Σ0xf with xf as the nonlinearity exponent. This exponent xf shows a gradual crossover from 1.025 ± 0.006 in FMI phase to 0.518 ± 0.07 in PMI phase in an intermediate temperature range signifying the presence of Griffiths-like phase. A simple phenomenological R–RC model consistent with the microstructural conduction mechanisms in PMI and FMI phases is developed to generate the qualitative non-Ohmic character of ac conductance, the onset frequency fc, and the nonlinearity exponent xf. Existing scaling theories with reliable models are used to analyze and compare the results of ac conductance in similar systems.

The effect of an electric field on conduction in a disordered system is an old but largely unsolved problem. Experiments cover an wide variety of systems -amorphous/doped semiconductors, conducting polymers, organic crystals, manganites, composites, metallic alloys, double perovskitesranging from strongly localized systems to weakly localized ones, from strongly correlated ones to weakly correlated ones. Theories have singularly failed to predict any universal trend resulting in separate theories for separate systems. Here we discuss an one-parameter scaling that has recently been found to give a systematic account of the field-dependent conductance in two diverse, strongly localized systems of conducting polymers and manganites. The nonlinearity exponent, x associated with the scaling was found to be nonuniversal and exhibits structure. For two-dimensional (2D) weakly localized systems, the nonlinearity exponent x is 7 and is roughly inversely proportional to the sheet resistance. Existing theories of weak localization prove to be adequate and a complete scaling function is derived. In a 2D strongly localized system a temperature-induced scaling-nonscaling transition (SNST) is revealed. For three-dimensional (3D) strongly localized systems the exponent lies between -1 and 1, and surprisingly is quantized (x ≈ 0.08 n). This poses a serious theoretical challenge. Various results are compared with predictions of the existing theories.