Experimental visualization of lithium conduction pathways in garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12

The evolution of the Li-ion displacements in the 3D interstitial pathways of the cubic garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12, cubic Li7La3Zr2O12, was investigated with high-temperature neutron diffraction (HTND) from RT to 600 degrees C; the maximum-entropy method (MEM) was applied to estimate the Li nuclear-density distribution. Temperature-driven Li displacements were observed; the displacements indicate that the conduction pathways in the garnet framework are restricted to diffusion through the tetrahedral sites of the interstitial space.