Low-frequency relaxation processes in single-crystal proustite, Ag3AsS3

Measurements of the complex dielectric constant of single-crystal proustite over the frequency range 10-2-5*106 Hz have shown the presence of a temperature-dependent relaxation process with characteristic times of between 1*10-2 and 6.5*10-4 s. Three activation energies are observed in the resistance measurements which correlate with reported phase transitions in this material. The dielectric relaxation can be interpreted in terms of a combined model, in which the 'Universal' dielectric dispersion law describing the anomalous low-frequency behaviour is combined with a two-layer Maxwell-Wagner model to account for the relaxation processes. The limited dielectric properties of the material have been established.