Low-temperature ionic conductivity of the solid solution in the system ZrO2–Y2O3–Yb2O3

Compositional dependence of ionic conductivity in the system ZrO2–Y2O3–Yb2O3 was investigated in the temperature range 573–873 K using the complex impedance technique. It was shown that the conductivity decreases with increasing concentration of Yb2O3 in the system ZrO2–Y2O3–Yb2O3. Analyzing the experimental data according to the classic Arrhenius equation showed that such an experimental phenomenon can be attributed to the tighter association between Yb3+ and oxygen vacancy, compared with that between Y3+ and oxygen vacancy, which hinders the migration of oxygen vacancy in the materials.