Generation and detection of H electrodiffusion waves

Hydrogen electrodiffusion waves are forced oscillations of the H concentration within a host metal, driven by an electric field. Simulations show that they suffer less from the drawbacks of ordinary diffusion waves such as heavy damping. H in Y/V bilayers fulfills all the requirements to generate and to detect H electrodiffusion waves. We demonstrate the possibility to spatially modulate the H concentration in a thin V film and to drive H "pulses" via an applied electric field. The electric field is also used to control the hydrogen uptake of the sample. We visualize the temporal and spatial evolution of the H distribution in the V film using the switchable mirror material YHx as an optical hydrogen indicator. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.