Study on dielectric relaxation and current-voltage characteristics of Mn-doped ZrO2 nanocrystalline solid solution at and above room temperature

In this article, we report dielectric behavior and current-voltage characteristics of manganese (Mn)-doped zirconia nanocomposite in the 298 < T < 523 K temperature range. It is observed that the electrical response is controlled by the Mn concentration present in the sample. Both ac and dc conductivities of the prepared samples are observed to increase as the temperature rises. This suggests that the prepared samples behave in a semiconducting nature. Also, the ac conductivities of the samples increase with the frequency, which is prominent beyond the hopping frequency. The complex dielectric permittivity decreases with frequency and attains saturation at high-frequency regions. The current-voltage study shows that trap height increases with temperature and sample behavior is governed by the Poole Frenkel Emission model.