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Title: Mechanisms of Hysteresis and Reversibility across the Voltage-Driven Perovskite–Brownmillerite Transformation in Electrolyte-Gated Ultrathin La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3−δ
ABSTRACT: Perovskite cobaltites have emerged as archetypes for electrochemical control of materials properties in electrolytegate devices. Voltage-driven redox cycling can be performed between fully oxygenated perovskite and oxygen-vacancy-ordered brownmillerite phases, enabling exceptional modulation of the crystal structure, electronic transport, thermal transport, magnetism, and optical properties. The vast majority of studies, however, have focused heavily on the perovskite and brownmillerite end points. In contrast, here we focus on hysteresis and reversibility across the entire perovskite ↔ brownmillerite topotactic transformation, combining gate-voltage hysteresis loops, minor hysteresis loops, quantitative operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent (magneto)transport, on ion-gel-gated ultrathin (10-unit-cell) epitaxial La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ films. Gate-voltage hysteresis loops combined with operando diffraction reveal a wealth of new mechanistic findings, including asymmetric redox kinetics due to differing oxygen diffusivities in the two phases, nonmonotonic transformation rates due to the first-order nature of the transformation, and limits on reversibility due to first-cycle structural degradation. Minor loops additionally enable the first rational design of an optimal gate-voltage cycle. Combining this knowledge, we demonstrate state-of-the-art nonvolatile cycling of electronic and magnetic properties, encompassing >105 transport ON/OFF ratios at room temperature, and reversible metal−insulator−metal and ferromagnet−nonferromagnet−ferromagnet cycling, all at 10-unit-cell thickness with high room-temperature stability. This paves the way for future work to establish the ultimate cycling frequency and endurance of such devices. KEYWORDS: electrolyte gating, magnetoionics, complex oxides, perovskite−brownmillerite transformation, hysteresis, reversibility  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2011401
NSF-PAR ID:
10506577
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ACS
Date Published:
Journal Name:
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Volume:
16
Issue:
15
ISSN:
1944-8244
Page Range / eLocation ID:
19184 to 19197
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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