Probing the Nanoscale Origins of Dendrite Propagation in Garnet Solid Electrolytes under Operando Condition

Lithium dendrite penetration causes critical failure in Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), yet its nanoscale initiation mechanism remains unproven. Here, we propose in-situ Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging (BCDI) to directly visualize the structural evolution of electrolytes during cycling. Using a custom cell, we will track (420)/(422) reflections of both low entropy and high entropy doped LLZO, and reconstruct the real-space displacement fields throughout the electrochemical cycling. By exploring the degradation dynamics of doped LLZO, we expect to quantify the nucleation and proliferation of Li dendrites, which is of significance to durable electrolyte design.