Structural, electrical, leakage current, and magnetic characteristics of double perovskite Nd₂NiTiO₆

This study investigates the structural, electrical, leakage current, and magnetic characteristics of the double perovskite material Nd 2 NiTiO 6 synthesized through the sol–gel citrate auto‐ignition method. The Rietveld refinement of the X‐ray diffraction patterns confirmed a monoclinic symmetry (space group P2 1 /n) with an ordered arrangement of alternate NiO 6 and TiO 6 octahedra. Impedance spectroscopic analysis exhibited the material's non–Debye‐type relaxation mechanism and semi‐conductive nature. AC conduction analysis revealed that the conduction of charge carriers occurs via the nonoverlapping small polaron hopping mechanism, consistent with Mott's variable range hopping model. Temperature‐ and frequency‐dependent dielectric measurements were interpreted using the Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization model. The analysis of thermal‐ and field‐dependent leakage currents established that conduction is ohmic, which the Schottky barrier model explains. Studies on magnetization ruled out the presence of magnetic ordering connected to indirect interaction between Ni 2+ ions via Ti 4+ ions and the rare‐earth cation (Nd 3+ ) moment.