Dielectric relaxation, electrical conductivity and optical studies of solid-state synthesized EuCrO3

The structural, morphological, dielectric, and optical properties of europium chromite EuCrO3 prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the sample crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure with a grain size in the range of 0.255–1.127 μm as determined from scanning electron microscopy images. The dielectric response was investigated over a wide range of frequencies at several fixed high temperatures. The material was reported to exhibit a large dielectric constant interpreted by the heterogeneous electrical response of the material consisting of grains separated by poorly conducting grain boundaries as asserted by the mean of impedance spectroscopy, and the dielectric relaxation was explained in terms of Maxwell–Wagner relaxation mechanism. The conduction mechanism is reported to be dominated by the charge carriers hopping provided by both small and large polarons. Optical absorption studies indicate that the sample acquires a direct band gap with an energy of about 2.4 eV, suggesting its interest for potential application in optoelectronic devices.