INTERMEDIATE RANGE STRUCTURAL ORDERING IN AGI DOPED SUPERIONIC GLASSES - A NEUTRON-DIFFRACTION STUDY

Neutron diffraction experiments on AgI doped oxide glasses reveal a sharp diffraction peak at the anomalously low Q value of 0.8 Å-1, which indicate intermediate structural ordering with a characteristic length of about 8 Å. The intensity, but not the position, of the peak is dependent on the dopant salt concentration and the base glass composition. The origin of the anomalous low-Q peak is attributed to small microclusters of AgI of about 8 Å size introduced into voids or interstices of the host glass. The observations are discussed in relation to the microcluster model or diffusion-path model proposed to explain the extraordinary high ionic conductivity of AgI doped oxide glasses. © 1990.