Layered electrolyte with high ionic conductivity

The electrolyte material comprises an electronically insulating oxide of a base metal and at least one additional metal or oxide of an additional metal, which enhances the base metal with ionic conductivity. According to the invention, the electrolyte material has a layer structure with B-layers in which at least 30 % of the metal atoms and/or metal ions are of the base metal and A-layers in which at least 30 % of the metal atoms and/or metal ions are of the additional metal. This segregation of metals also segregates oxygen vacancies from passageway blockages. In an electrolyte material with 2 zirconium ions, 2 yttrium ions and 7 oxygen ions per unit cell and a vacancy concentration of 12.5 %, ionic conductivity parallel to the B-layers is 42 S/m at 800°C and 13 S/m at 500°C. The prior-art electrolyte material 8YSZ with a vacancy concentration of 4 % has only 2 S/m at 800°C and 0.11 S/m at 500°C.