Embedded metallic nanoparticles facilitate metastability of switchable metallic domains in Mott threshold switches.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35948541.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-022-32081-x and PMC identifier 9365788.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Mott threshold switching, which is observed in quantum materials featuring an electrically fired insulator-to-metal transition, calls for delicate control of the percolative dynamics of electrically switchable domains on a nanoscale. Here, we demonstrate that embedded metallic nanoparticles (NP) dramatically promote metastability of switchable metallic domains in single-crystal-like VO<sub>2</sub> Mott switches. Using a model system of Pt-NP-VO<sub>2</sub> single-crystal-like films, interestingly, the embedded Pt NPs provide 33.3 times longer 'memory' of previous threshold metallic conduction by serving as pre-formed 'stepping-stones' in the switchable VO<sub>2</sub> matrix by consecutive electical pulse measurement; persistent memory of previous firing during the application of sub-threshold pulses was achieved on a six orders of magnitude longer timescale than the single-pulse recovery time of the insulating resistance in Pt-NP-VO<sub>2</sub> Mott switches. This discovery offers a fundamental strategy to exploit the geometric evolution of switchable domains in electrically fired transition and potential applications for non-Boolean computing using quantum materials.