Visible-light-accelerated oxygen vacancy migration in strontium titanate

Strontium titanate is a model transition metal oxide that exhibits versatile properties of special interest for both fundamental and applied researches. There is evidence that most of the attractive properties of SrTiO3 are closely associated with oxygen vacancies. Tuning the kinetics of oxygen vacancies is then highly desired. Here we reported on a dramatic tuning of the electro-migration of oxygen vacancies by visible light illumination. It is found that, through depressing activation energy for vacancy diffusion, light illumination remarkably accelerates oxygen vacancies even at room temperature. This effect provides a feasible approach towards the modulation of the anionic processes. The principle proved here can be extended to other perovskite oxides, finding a wide application in oxide electronics.