Electronic correlation in single crystals of bi-intercalated vanadium pentoxide

Vanadium oxide bronzes exhibit a variety of structural and electronic properties such as charge ordering or metal-insulator phase transition due to correlated electron behavior that can be enhanced by external stimuli. The distinct phases observed in these materials can be tuned through the introduction of intercalated ions within the crystal structure. In this study, the effects of systematic bi-intercalation of Pb and Cu into the vanadium pentoxide crystal structures are explored through a series of electrical transport measurements in single crystals of β-Pb_xCu_yV₂O₅. Current-voltage characteristics show abrupt and hysteretic resistive switching behavior from a low conducting state to a high conducting state due possibly to the destruction of charge ordering. Resistance noise spectroscopy is performed as a function of temperature and electric field to understand the charge carrier dynamics across the resistive switching transitions. Significant increases are seen in the power spectral density of the residual resistance fluctuations near the threshold voltage pointing to the presence of tunable correlated electron behavior in these materials. The understanding of this correlated electron behavior enhanced by the intercalated ions and their transport will yield insights on how to synthesize materials with desirable electronic properties.