Nanoscopic Study of the Ion Dynamics in a LiAlSiO4_4 Glass Ceramic by means of Electrostatic Force Spectroscopy

We use time-domain electrostatic force spectroscopy (TD-EFS) for characterising the dynamics of mobile ions in a partially crystallised LiAlSiO$_4$ glass ceramic, and we compare the results of the TD-EFS measurements to macroscopic electrical conductivity measurements. While the macroscopic conductivity spectra are determined by a single dynamic process with an activation energy of 0.72 eV, the TD-EFS measurements provide information about two distinct relaxation processes with different activation energies. Our results indicate that the faster process is due to ionic movements in the glassy phase and at the glass-crystal interfaces, while the slower process is caused by ionic movements in the crystallites. The spatially varying electrical relaxation strengths of the fast and of the slow process provide information about the nano- and mesoscale structure of the glass ceramic.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure