Bombardment induced ion transport through an ion-conducting Ca30 glass

The transport of alkali ions through solid electrolytes is a key process in the field of energy storage and energy conversion [^1,2]. Typically the transport is characterized via the diffusion coefficient or the conductivity. Conventional approaches to ion conductivity include e.g. impedance spectroscopy (IS), pulsed field gradient NMR and tracer diffusion techniques [³]. These techniques typically include either two or more electrodes or no electrode. Recently, we have introduced an alternative approach to ion transport through solid electrolytes, which involves only one electrode and consequently only one electrolyte / electrode interface [⁴,⁵,⁶]. This approach is advantageous in situations where the sample is too thin to connect two electrodes or where contact potentials are an important issue.