Influence of glass structure on the ac conductivity of alkali phosphate glasses

The conductivity dispersion in several alkali phosphate glasses is examined as the glass structure changes from an interconnected 'mesh' network to one of phosphate chains cross-linked by alkali ions. For metaphosphate glasses the dispersion varies in response to the size of the mobile ion relative to the mean spacing between phosphate chains. Preliminary work on ultraphosphate glasses suggests this 'constriction' effect largely disappears as the chain structure is replaced by a mesh structure. However, some puzzling changes in the conductivity dispersion with respect to alkali ion size remain. It is suggested that these changes may be related to a 're-polymerization' mechanism thought to occur in phosphate glasses.