Transient Nonlinear Response of Dynamically Decoupled Ionic Conductors

The present study demonstrates that large electric fields progressively enhance the conductivity of ionic systems up to timescales corresponding to those on which their structural rearrangements take place. Yet, in many ionic materials, some regarded as candidates for electrical energy storage applications, the structural relaxation process can be tremendously slower than (or highly decoupled from) the charge fluctuations. Consequently, nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy may be employed to access theological information in dynamically decoupled ionic conductors, whereas the combination of large electric power density and good mechanical stability, both technologically highly desired, imposes specific experimental constraints to reliably determine the steady-state conductivity of such materials.