Frequency-dependent spin-lattice relaxation study of transport processes in superionic conductors

The sensitivity of the¹⁹F spin-lattice relaxation dispersion, T₁,(ω), to motional disorder in crystalline superionic conductors of the type La_1?xSr_xF_3?x (x = 0; 0.03) is shown. T₁ times are measured in the frequency range from 90 kHz to 370 MHz using standard techniques in combination with field-cycling. The relaxation dispersion shows qualitative differences from the standard Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound behavior. At low frequencies a relaxation model using a distribution of correlation times for diffusing ions is found to be consistent with the experimental results. At frequencies higher than 50 MHz another process of the Debye type which is not induced by ionic hopping dominates the relaxation.