Strong Proton-Phonon Coupling Drives Fast Ion Transport in Perovskites.

ABSTRACT: Conduction of protons in solids is a cooperative process propelled by phonons, with molecular details obscured by the irregular movements in the thermal bath. It is shown that substitution with Y forms an imaginary phonon mode, instrumental for the function as proton conductor and effectively lowering the activation barrier for proton transport. To untangle the interplay in the exemplary proton conductor BaSn_0.9Y_0.1O₃, its crystallographic structure is determined with high resolution neutron diffractometry and its phonon density of states with density functional theory calculations, experimentally validated by element specific nuclear resonant vibration spectroscopy. Based on phonon analysis, a quantitative transport model is present, which predicts the act

SUBMITTER: Rulev A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12904003 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature