Transport properties of dislocations in SrTiO3 and other perovskites

Abstract ABO3 perovskite-type oxides constitute some of the most fascinating materials in the solid state sciences, displaying a wide range of useful, interesting phenomena. Electrical conduction and ion diffusion — the transport of charge and mass — are two key phenomena, as they can be utilised directly or they often need to be tuned for the utilisation of other phenomena. This review focuses on how dislocations (one-dimensional lattice defects) affect charge and mass transport in ABO3 perovskites. The main system of interest is SrTiO3 because of the wealth of available studies, but other perovskites (e.g.LaMnO3, BaSnO3) are considered where appropriate. After a brief discussion of relevant basic aspects, literature is reviewed on the structure, composition and charge of dislocations in ABO3 perovskite-type oxides, and on how such dislocations affect the transport of charge and mass. The role of dislocations in resistive switching is briefly discussed. Attention is drawn to a variety of open questions and critical issues.