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Filament dynamics in Mott insulators

ORAL

Abstract

Resistive switching, a phenomenon in which the resistance of a device can be modified by applying an electric field, is the basis for emerging technologies such as neuromorphic computing. Volatile switching is specially promising, as it may allow for the implementation of artificial spiking neurons. This type of switching is observed in Mott insulators featuring an insulator-to-metal transition which can be triggered by applying an external voltage: the material becomes conducting if a threshold is exceeded. Such switching takes place in a filamentary fashion.
Despite intense research, it is not yet known how these filaments nucleate, grow and relax. We combine reflectivity and transport measurements to image the switching process with spatial and temporal resolution. Three Mott insulators are analyzed: VO2, V2O3 and V3O5, finding remarkable differences in the filament expansion process. We will show how these differences provide a unique insight to identify which mechanism drives the Mott transition: Joule heating or electric field.

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Presenters

  • Ivan Schuller

    University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, Center for Advanced Nanoscience, Department of Physics, University of California-San Diego

Authors

  • Javier Del Valle Granda

    University of California, San Diego

  • Nicolas M Vargas

    University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego

  • Pavel Salev

    University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego

  • Paul Y Wang

    University of California, San Diego

  • Pavel Lapa

    University of California, San Diego

  • Yoav Kalcheim

    University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego

  • Coline Adda

    Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, University of California, San Diego

  • Minhan Lee

    Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, University of California, San Diego

  • Federico Tesler

    Departamento de Física, Universidad de Buenos Aires

  • Lorenzo Fratino

    CNRS Laboratoire de Physique des Solides

  • Marcelo Rozenberg

    Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, CNRS Laboratoire de Physique des Solides

  • Ivan Schuller

    University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, Center for Advanced Nanoscience, Department of Physics, University of California-San Diego