Structural, and complex impedance studies of ruddlesden-popper Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 oxide

The solid-state reaction technique was employed to synthesize the Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 oxide. The resulting pure phase powder was obtained by quenching the mixture in air from 1400 °C to room temperature. The Rietveld refinement of XRD data confirmed the tetragonal K2NiF4-type structure and I4/mmm space group. Upon analysis of the complex impedance, it was observed that the Sr1.80Nd0.20MnO4 sample exhibited two electrical equivalent circuits, which were needed to explain the impedance results. To investigate the electrical conductive properties of composite materials under different temperate conditions, Jonscher's power law expression was utilized. The calculated activation energies from both the analysis of the electrical circuit equivalent and the conductivity data were found to be closely similar. This supports the conclusion that ion hopping mechanism plays a key role in the transport of charges within the investigated materials. Additionally, it was observed that thermal activation predominantly governs the conduction process.