title: In Situ Atom Probe Deintercalation of Lithium-Manganese-Oxide.
abstract: Atom probe tomography is routinely used for the characterization of materials microstructures, usually assuming that the microstructure is unaltered by the analysis. When analyzing ionic conductors, however, gradients in the chemical potential and the electric field penetrating dielectric atom probe specimens can cause significant ionic mobility. Although ionic mobility is undesirable when aiming for materials characterization, it offers a strategy to manipulate materials directly in situ in the atom probe. Here, we present experimental results on the analysis of the ionic conductor lithium-manganese-oxide with different atom probe techniques. We demonstrate that, at a temperature of 30 K, characterization of the materials microstructure is possible without measurable Li mobility. Also, we show that at 298 K the material can be deintercalated, in situ in the atom probe, without changing the manganese-oxide host structure. Combining in situ atom probe deintercalation and subsequent conventional characterization, we demonstrate a new methodological approach to study ionic conductors even in early stages of deintercalation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Physics,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1,37077 Göttingen,Germany.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Physics,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1,37077 Göttingen,Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Physics,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1,37077 Göttingen,Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arlt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Physics,Georg-August-University Göttingen,Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1,37077 Göttingen,Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nowak
keywords: 
                 in situ deintercalation; atom probe; ionic conductor; lithium-manganese-oxide; microstructure