Virtual Mobility Grant ICMAB (Spain) – ULiège (Belgium)
This virtual mobility grant has strengthened the collaboration between ICMAB (A. Palau) and University of Liege (A. Silhanek) groups. The aim of the project was to complement our investigation on current-induced oxygen migration (electromigration) effects in YBa2Cu3O7-d films patterned with multi-terminal constrictions [Marinkovic et al ACS Nano 14, 11765 (2020)]. We combined direct visualization of oxygen migration through optical microscopy and finite elements modelling to estimate the average activation energy of oxygen motion. Simulations reproduce the induced resistance changes after electromigration and confirm a high degree of spatial inhomogeneity in the stoichiometry and the formation of filamentary paths rich in oxygen vacancies. [Collienne et al. (submitted)]. These results shed new light on the non-local modifications produced by the electromigration process on oxide conductors.