Imaging in-operando LiCoO nanocrystallites with Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction.

Although the LiCoO (LCO) cathode material has been widely used in commercial lithium ion batteries (LIB) and shows high stability, LIB's improvements have several challenges that still need to be overcome. In this paper, we have studied the in-operando structural properties of LCO within battery cells using Bragg Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging to identify ways to optimise the LCO batteries' cycling. We have successfully reconstructed the X-ray scattering phase variation (a fingerprint of atomic displacement) within a  ≈ (1.

Three-dimensional domain identification in a single hexagonal manganite nanocrystal.

The three-dimensional domain structure of ferroelectric materials significantly influences their properties. The ferroelectric domain structure of improper multiferroics, such as YMnO, is driven by a non-ferroelectric order parameter, leading to unique hexagonal vortex patterns and topologically protected domain walls. Characterizing the three-dimensional structure of these domains and domain walls has been elusive, however, due to a lack of suitable imaging techniques.