Heterogeneous and homogeneous diffusivity in an ion-conducting glass

The nature of ion diffusivity in the vitreous conductor 2Ca\(NO₃\)₂·3KNO₃ (CKN) was studied by nonresonant dielectric hole burning. Spectral holes in the electric field relaxation are probed subsequent to a high electric sinusoidal burn field. For sufficiently high pump frequencies we are able to induce spectrally selective modifications in the relaxation of the electric modulus, indicating that ionic diffusivity is a spatially varying quantity in glassy CKN. Homogeneous behavior occurs in the regime of low pump frequencies, in which the resistivity approaches its steady state value. Thus, longer-ranged ionic motions lead to a spatial averaging over the heterogeneity of local ion diffusivities.