Defect/disorder correlated modification of transport properties from hopping to tunneling processes in BaTiO3–LaFeO3 solid solution

Crystal structure, bandgap, and the changes in the charge conduction mechanisms in ceramics are interrelated, and the underlying physics unifies all these different phenomena. The experimental and theoretical evaluation of the electronic properties of the solid solution of (1 − x)BaTiO3–(x)LaFeO3 (x = 0, 0.015, 0.031, 0.062) is attempted in this work. Bandgap was observed to be tunable with La/Fe doping from 3.2 eV (x = 0) to 2.6 eV (x = 0.06), while the lattice disorder was found to increase. A theoretical assessment confirms a considerable shift of valence band maxima and conduction band minima with an introduction of additional defect states within the bandgap. Electron localization was also confirmed theoretically with doping. Such changes in the electronic properties were experimentally confirmed from dielectric/AC - conductivity/impedance spectroscopy studies. From different transportation models, hopping is a preferred mechanism in the less distorted BaTiO3. However, a large polaron tunneling process can be justified for the doped samples at lower temperatures. Only at higher temperatures, a small polaron tunneling can be justified for the doped samples. The transportation is affected by the grain boundaries as much as the grains themselves. A complete analysis using Nyquist plots reveals the competing contributions of these regions to the transportation mechanism and is correlated to the disorder/distortions in the lattice in terms of the formation of oxygen vacancies.