title: Subnanosecond incubation times for electric-field-induced metallization of a correlated electron oxide.
abstract: Strong interactions, or correlations, between the d or f electrons in transition-metal oxides lead to various types of metal-insulator transitions that can be triggered by external parameters such as temperature, pressure, doping, magnetic fields and electric fields. Electric-field-induced metallization of such materials from their insulating states could enable a new class of ultrafast electronic switches and latches. However, significant questions remain about the detailed nature of the switching process. Here, we show, in the canonical metal-to-insulator transition system V₂O₃, that ultrafast voltage pulses result in its metallization only after an incubation time that ranges from ∼150 ps to many nanoseconds, depending on the electric field strength. We show that these incubation times can be accounted for by purely thermal effects and that intrinsic electronic-switching mechanisms may only be revealed using larger electric fields at even shorter timescales.
authors.affiliation: 1] IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA [2] Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, 348 Via Pueblo, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Justin S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brockman
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Charles T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Rettner
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Mahesh G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Samant
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart S P
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Parkin
references.citation: J Phys Condens Matter. 2012 Jan 25;24(3):035601
references.pmid: 22179437
references.citation: Science. 2007 Dec 14;318(5857):1750-3
references.pmid: 18079396
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Oct 1;105(14):146404
references.pmid: 21230853
references.citation: Nature. 2003 Aug 28;424(6952):1015-8
references.pmid: 12944958
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Jan 29;104(4):047401
references.pmid: 20366736
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Feb 1;110(5):056601
references.pmid: 23414038
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Aug 5;95(6):067405
references.pmid: 16090991
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Jun 4;86(23):5345-8
references.pmid: 11384494
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Sep 14;99(11):116401
references.pmid: 17930454
references.citation: Nature. 2012 Jul 19;487(7407):345-8
references.pmid: 22801506