Credit: Argonne National Laboratory
“When scientists add or remove a proton (H+) from the perovskite (SmNiO3 (SNO)) lattice, the material’s atomic structure expands or contracts dramatically to accommodate it in a process called ‘lattice breathing,’” said Badri Narayanan, an Argonne assistant material scientist and co-author of the study. But when it happens repeatedly, this activity wanes, resembling human forgetfulness.