Dynamic pathway models for ion transport in nanostructured heterolayers

Abstract

The influence of local structure variations on the charge transport properties are still not well understood at an atomic level. In this work the experimentally observed drastic conductivity enhancement in epitactic stacks of BaF2:CaF2 heterolayers compared to any of the two fluoride ion conducting phases is reproduced by molecular dynamics simulations and analyzed in detail with particular emphasis on the variation of properties with the distance to the two-phase boundary. Ion mobility varies with the distance to the interface but remains significantly enhanced throughout the modeled layers when compared to bulk materials. The bond valence method is utilized to study correlations between the conductivity enhancement and the microstructure. A time-averaged violation of local electroneutrality postulated in the mesoscopic multiphase model is verified by the bond valence analysis of the molecular dynamics simulation trajectories. The variation of the ion mobility can be related to the extension of clusters of unoccupied accessible pathway regions. Copyright © 2007 Materials Research Society.