Dynamic nanoscale spatial heterogeneity in a perovskite to brownmillerite topotactic phase transformation
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866912814359117824 |
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| author | D'Anna, Nicolò Lamb, Erik S. Glefke, Robin Ham, Daseul Nihal, Ishmam Lee, Su Yong Takamura, Yayoi Shpyrko, Oleg |
| author_facet | D'Anna, Nicolò Lamb, Erik S. Glefke, Robin Ham, Daseul Nihal, Ishmam Lee, Su Yong Takamura, Yayoi Shpyrko, Oleg |
| contents | Phase transitions are omnipresent in modern condensed matter physics and its applications. In solids, phase transformations typically occur by nucleation and growth under non-equilibrium conditions. Under constant external conditions, $\textit{e.g.}$, constant heating temperature and pressure, the nucleation and growth dynamics are often thought of as spatially and temporally independent. Here, $\textit{in-situ}$ Bragg X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) reveals nanoscale spatial and dynamical heterogeneity in the perovskite to brownmillerite topotactic phase transformation in La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$CoO$_3$ (LSCO) thin films under constant reducing conditions over a time-span of multiple hours. Specifically, a timescale associated with domain growth remains stable, with a corresponding domain wall speed of $v_d = 6 \pm 0.5 \times10^{-4}$ nm/s ($2 \pm 0.2$ nm/h), while a slower timescale, associated with temperature driven de-pinning of domains, leads to accelerating dynamics with timescales following an aging power law with exponent $-2.2 \pm 0.5$. The experiment demonstrates that Bragg XPCS is a powerful tool to study nanoscale dynamics in phase transformations. The results are relevant for phase engineering of phase-change devices, as they show that nanoscale dynamics, linked to domain and domain-wall motion, can continuously evolve and speed up with time, even hours after the initiation of the phase transformation, with potential repercussions on electrical performance. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_06365 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Dynamic nanoscale spatial heterogeneity in a perovskite to brownmillerite topotactic phase transformation D'Anna, Nicolò Lamb, Erik S. Glefke, Robin Ham, Daseul Nihal, Ishmam Lee, Su Yong Takamura, Yayoi Shpyrko, Oleg Materials Science Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Phase transitions are omnipresent in modern condensed matter physics and its applications. In solids, phase transformations typically occur by nucleation and growth under non-equilibrium conditions. Under constant external conditions, $\textit{e.g.}$, constant heating temperature and pressure, the nucleation and growth dynamics are often thought of as spatially and temporally independent. Here, $\textit{in-situ}$ Bragg X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) reveals nanoscale spatial and dynamical heterogeneity in the perovskite to brownmillerite topotactic phase transformation in La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$CoO$_3$ (LSCO) thin films under constant reducing conditions over a time-span of multiple hours. Specifically, a timescale associated with domain growth remains stable, with a corresponding domain wall speed of $v_d = 6 \pm 0.5 \times10^{-4}$ nm/s ($2 \pm 0.2$ nm/h), while a slower timescale, associated with temperature driven de-pinning of domains, leads to accelerating dynamics with timescales following an aging power law with exponent $-2.2 \pm 0.5$. The experiment demonstrates that Bragg XPCS is a powerful tool to study nanoscale dynamics in phase transformations. The results are relevant for phase engineering of phase-change devices, as they show that nanoscale dynamics, linked to domain and domain-wall motion, can continuously evolve and speed up with time, even hours after the initiation of the phase transformation, with potential repercussions on electrical performance. |
| title | Dynamic nanoscale spatial heterogeneity in a perovskite to brownmillerite topotactic phase transformation |
| topic | Materials Science Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.06365 |