Current-induced insulator-metal transition and pattern formation in an organic charge-transfer complex
Organic molecular Mott insulators, in which carriers are localized as a result of the electron correlation, showed nonlinear electric conduction upon application of a high electric field along the molecular stacking axis. The current-driven low-resistive state of potassium 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethanane was stabilized down to 2 kelvin, where a metallic path was visible with a microscope. The current flow caused a stripe-like periodic phase-segregation into the carrier-rich and carrier-poor regions along the current path.
Kumai
R
Joint Research Center for Atom Technology (JRCAT), Tsukuba 305-0046, Japan. Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Okimoto
Y
Tokura
Y