Tunable Phase Transitions and Resistive Switching in Engineered Mott Insulators

by Prof. Yoav Kalcheim

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion

at Condensed Matter Seminar

Mon, 04 Nov 2024, 11:10
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207

Abstract

In Mott insulators temperature changes and electrical currents can change resistance by orders-of-magnitude due to an insulator-metal phase transition. The volatility and stochasticity of switching in these materials enables various kinds of unique applications. In this talk I will present our recent advances in defect- and strain- engineering of Mott insulators and devices thereof. I will first discuss how defects induced by ion irradiation in V2O3 and VO2 devices can induce a non-thermal insulator-metal transition when current is driven through these materials and how this allows to define the real-space trajectory of the phase transition. I will also show the ability to non-thermally induce either the metallic or insulating phase in the hysteresis regime of V2O3 using photo-excitation. I will then discuss strain engineering in V2O3 which allows to tune the trajectory of the phase transition, providing access to hitherto inaccessible regions of the phase diagram. These unusual states of matter hold great promise for resistive switching applications, both in terms of energy efficiency and functionality. Lastly, I will discuss our most recent muon spin rotation study which reveals magnetic precursors to the coupled structural and electronic transitions in the prototypical Mott insulator V2O3.

Acknowledgments: This work is supported by the Israel Science Foundation - grant no. 1031/21, the European Research Council - grant no. 101039986 and the Binational Science Foundation - grant no. 2020337.

Created on 28-10-2024 by Naamneh, Muntaser (mnaamneh)
Updaded on 28-10-2024 by Naamneh, Muntaser (mnaamneh)