Proton transfer in proton glasses

Abstract Proton intrabond transfer in O H⋯O bonds is the mechanism for dynamic behavior of rubidium/ammonium dihydrogenphosphate mixed crystals. Because of strong proton-proton interactions, such transfer is associated with thermally activated creation of H 3 PO 4 -HPO 4 intrinsic defect pairs, their hindered diffusion in a random-step fractal potential, and their eventual annihilation. Predictions of a model based on this behavior are compared with determinations on a 35% ammoniated crystal by Courtens of dielectric susceptibility and of relaxation time distribution limits calculated from Brillouin scattering results.