Crystallographic defects, also known as crystal defects, refer to imperfections in the regular geometric arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline structure. These defects play a crucial role in determining the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of materials.
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A crystallographic defect is a departure from ideal repeated structure. In an ionic crystal, a missing ion can provide an available site for another ion to move into; movement still requires overcoming an activation energy. This is why an ideal immobile-site model is a limit rather than a universal law for solid electrical conductivity.[ref]
Chemistry 2e. §10.5, “Crystal Defects”: vacancies and other imperfections