Correlating the low-temperature photoluminescence with electron transport properties in cerium oxide thin film.

The complex interaction between the intrinsic and extrinsic state variables of strongly correlated insulator thin films is drawing interest as it shows memristive behavior that may be applicable to neuromorphic computing. Cerium oxide is an interesting material as its band structure is modified due to the formation of oxygen vacancy defects. The polaron formation that results from the reduction of the Ce4+ state to the Ce3+ state through oxygen vacancies is crucial for the electron transport in cerium oxide and is strongly influenced by temperature.

Effect of temperature on polaronic transport in CeO2 thin-film.

The outstanding catalytic property of cerium oxide (CeO2) strongly depends on the polaron formation due to the oxygen vacancy (V̈O) defect and Ce4+ to Ce3+ transformation. Temperature plays an important role in the case of polaron generation in CeO2 and highly influences its electrical transport properties. Therefore, a much needed attention is required for detailed understanding of the effect of temperature on polaron formation and oxygen vacancy migration to get an idea about the improvement in the redox property of ceria.