Fundamental questions relating to ion conduction in disordered solids

Abstract

A number of basic scientific questions relating to ion conduction in homogeneously disordered solids are discussed. The questions deal with how to define the mobile ion density, what can be learnt from electrode effects, what the ion transport mechanism is, the role of dimensionality and what the origins of the mixed-alkali effect, the time-temperature superposition, and the nearly constant loss are. Answers are suggested to some of these questions, but the main purpose of the paper is to draw attention to the fact that this field of research still presents several fundamental challenges. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.