Billion-Fold Enhancement of Room-Temperature Ionic Conductivity in h-RMnO3/YSZ Heterostructures via Electric-Field-Assisted Oxygen Deficiency Engineering

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a billion-fold increase in room-temperature ionic conductivity in h-RMnO3/YSZ heterostructures through electric-field-assisted oxygen deficiency engineering, highlighting the importance of interface design and vacancy control for energy applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel method to significantly enhance ionic conductivity in oxide heterostructures by controlling oxygen vacancies via electric fields and interface engineering.

Findings

Billion-fold increase in ionic conductivity achieved.

Enhancement tunable by film thickness and voltage bias.

Oxygen depletion in YSZ is key to conductivity improvement.

Abstract

Oxide heterostructures provide versatile platforms for manipulating electronic and ionic conductive states. In this study, we demonstrate a remarkable billion-fold enhancement in room-temperature ionic conductivity within h-RMnO3/YSZ heterostructures, achieved through electric-field-assisted oxygen deficiency engineering. This enhancement is closely linked to substantial oxygen depletion in YSZ and is tunable by varying the thickness of the h-RMnO3 film layer and the applied voltage bias. Our findings underscore the critical importance of interfacial design and vacancy control in enhancing ionic transport capabilities, paving the way for advanced applications in low-temperature energy harvesting, storage, and conversion technologies.