Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Spectral Imaging of Diffusing Ions

Illustration of a nanoionic device with tunnel sensors monitoring the diffusion of two species of ions (orange and red spheres) along ion-conducting passages (bright blue). Ions diffusing in plane are detected by transversely tunneling electrons (silverish arrows). The ions induce inelastic electron tunneling, which causes ion-specific features in the electron tunneling characteristic. These can be monitored and spatially resolved in real time. The bicolored brown bars depict electrodes.
Link to research article "Electron Tunneling at High-Temperatures"

Electron Tunneling at High-Temperatures

P. Ngabonziza, Y. Wang, P. A. van Aken, J. Maier, and J. Mannhart

Illustration of homogeneous introduction of effectively charged foreign elements in the form of point defects, where aliovalent substitutional impurities introduce a negative effective charge that is compensated by positive compensating charges (blue: BaZrO3, orange: Y cations).
Link to research article "Two-dimensional Doping of Proton Conductors:
BaZrO3-based Heterostructures"

Two-dimensional Doping of Proton Conductors:
BaZrO₃-based Heterostructures

P. Ngabonziza, R. Merkle, Y. Wang, P. A. van Aken, T. S. Bjørheim, J. Maier, and J. Mannhart