Ionic liquid gating induced protonation of electron doped cuprate superconductors

Ion injection controlled by electric field has attracted growing attention due to its tunability over bulk-like materials. Here, we achieve protonation of an electron-doped high-temperature superconductor, La2–xCexCuO4, by gating in the electrochemical regime of the ionic liquid. Such a process induces a superconductor–insulator transition together with the crossing of the Fermi surface reconstruction point. Applying negative voltages not only can reverse the protonation process but also recovers superconductivity in samples deteriorated by moisture in the ambient. Our work extends the application of electric-field-induced protonation into high-temperature cuprate superconductors.