Dielectric and conducting behavior of gadolinium–terbium fumarate heptahydrate crystals

Abstract

Gadolinium-terbium fumarate heptahydrate crystals were grown in silica gel by using single gel diffusion technique. The crystals were characterized by different physico-chemical techniques of characterization. Powder X-ray diffraction results showed that the grown material is purely crystalline in nature. Elemental analyses suggested the chemical formula of the compound to be Gd Tb (C 4 H 2 O 4 Þ 3 Á 7H 2 O. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of Gd and Tb in the title compound. The dielectric and conductivity studies of the grown compound were carried as function of frequency of applied field and the temperature. The grown material showed a dielectric anomaly which was correlated with its thermal behavior. The ac conductivity of the material showed Jonscher's power law behavior: ð!Þ ¼ o þ A! s , with a temperature-dependent power exponent s (<1). The conductivity was found to be a function of temperature and frequency.