Colossal Ionic Conductivity, the fast diffusion of oxygen ions in heterolayer environments, has promised to provide oxygen migration rates fast enough for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells. These promises have stirred great debate, but despite ongoing discussion, the physics controlling Colossal Ionic Conductivity remains poorly understood. Hypotheses offered have been mechanical effects, phase changes, sublattice melting, interfacial effects, and space charge effects, though none tested. Here, a method of calculating the elastic dipole of charged states is shown, which will enable the testing of the mechanical hypothesis.

Whichever physics are controlling, observed changes in conductivity have been shown to correlate with heterolayer material lattice mismatch. This lattice mismatch can be shown to be the result of strain dependent properties. Here, a reduced model of heterolayer structure and strain allowing the rapid screening of a large number of structures for the optimization of the conducting interface.