Picoseconds ion motions in materials for solid oxide fuel cell

We measured the THz conductivity in typical electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cell with THz time-domain spectroscopy up to 1273 K. The measured conductivity reflected the microscopic ion motions just before hopping to the adjacent site. We evaluated the activation energy of the microscopic ion migration, which is difficult to be accessed with other conventional measurements. Our results will open a new application of THz spectroscopy for clarifying the ionic conduction mechanism and exploring novel fuel cell materials.