Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4}
The Mott insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} is the subject of much recent attention following reports of emergent nonequilibrium steady states driven by applied electric fields or currents. In this paper, we carry out infrared nano-imaging and optical-microscopy measurements on bulk single crystal Ca_{2}RuO_{4...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Physical Review X |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.011032 |
| _version_ | 1831588600187191296 |
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| author | Jiawei Zhang Alexander S. McLeod Qiang Han Xinzhong Chen Hans A. Bechtel Ziheng Yao S. N. Gilbert Corder Thomas Ciavatti Tiger H. Tao Meigan Aronson G. L. Carr Michael C. Martin Chanchal Sow Shingo Yonezawa Fumihiko Nakamura Ichiro Terasaki D. N. Basov Andrew J. Millis Yoshiteru Maeno Mengkun Liu |
| author_facet | Jiawei Zhang Alexander S. McLeod Qiang Han Xinzhong Chen Hans A. Bechtel Ziheng Yao S. N. Gilbert Corder Thomas Ciavatti Tiger H. Tao Meigan Aronson G. L. Carr Michael C. Martin Chanchal Sow Shingo Yonezawa Fumihiko Nakamura Ichiro Terasaki D. N. Basov Andrew J. Millis Yoshiteru Maeno Mengkun Liu |
| author_sort | Jiawei Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Mott insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} is the subject of much recent attention following reports of emergent nonequilibrium steady states driven by applied electric fields or currents. In this paper, we carry out infrared nano-imaging and optical-microscopy measurements on bulk single crystal Ca_{2}RuO_{4} under conditions of steady current flow to obtain insight into the current-driven insulator-to-metal transition. We observe macroscopic growth of the current-induced metallic phase, with nucleation regions for metal and insulator phases determined by the polarity of the current flow. A remarkable metal-insulator-metal microstripe pattern is observed at the phase front separating metal and insulator phases. The microstripes have orientations tied uniquely to the crystallographic axes, implying a strong coupling of the electronic transition to lattice degrees of freedom. Theoretical modeling further illustrates the importance of the current density and confirms a submicron-thick surface metallic layer at the phase front of the bulk metallic phase. Our work confirms that the electrically induced metallic phase is nonfilamentary and is not driven by Joule heating, revealing remarkable new characteristics of electrically induced insulator-metal transitions occurring in functional correlated oxides. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T22:16:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9bcaa264abba440ea26460971c58a56e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2160-3308 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T22:16:07Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review X |
| spelling | doaj.art-9bcaa264abba440ea26460971c58a56e2022-12-21T21:30:36ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082019-02-019101103210.1103/PhysRevX.9.011032Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4}Jiawei ZhangAlexander S. McLeodQiang HanXinzhong ChenHans A. BechtelZiheng YaoS. N. Gilbert CorderThomas CiavattiTiger H. TaoMeigan AronsonG. L. CarrMichael C. MartinChanchal SowShingo YonezawaFumihiko NakamuraIchiro TerasakiD. N. BasovAndrew J. MillisYoshiteru MaenoMengkun LiuThe Mott insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} is the subject of much recent attention following reports of emergent nonequilibrium steady states driven by applied electric fields or currents. In this paper, we carry out infrared nano-imaging and optical-microscopy measurements on bulk single crystal Ca_{2}RuO_{4} under conditions of steady current flow to obtain insight into the current-driven insulator-to-metal transition. We observe macroscopic growth of the current-induced metallic phase, with nucleation regions for metal and insulator phases determined by the polarity of the current flow. A remarkable metal-insulator-metal microstripe pattern is observed at the phase front separating metal and insulator phases. The microstripes have orientations tied uniquely to the crystallographic axes, implying a strong coupling of the electronic transition to lattice degrees of freedom. Theoretical modeling further illustrates the importance of the current density and confirms a submicron-thick surface metallic layer at the phase front of the bulk metallic phase. Our work confirms that the electrically induced metallic phase is nonfilamentary and is not driven by Joule heating, revealing remarkable new characteristics of electrically induced insulator-metal transitions occurring in functional correlated oxides.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.011032 |
| spellingShingle | Jiawei Zhang Alexander S. McLeod Qiang Han Xinzhong Chen Hans A. Bechtel Ziheng Yao S. N. Gilbert Corder Thomas Ciavatti Tiger H. Tao Meigan Aronson G. L. Carr Michael C. Martin Chanchal Sow Shingo Yonezawa Fumihiko Nakamura Ichiro Terasaki D. N. Basov Andrew J. Millis Yoshiteru Maeno Mengkun Liu Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} Physical Review X |
| title | Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} |
| title_full | Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} |
| title_fullStr | Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} |
| title_short | Nano-Resolved Current-Induced Insulator-Metal Transition in the Mott Insulator Ca_{2}RuO_{4} |
| title_sort | nano resolved current induced insulator metal transition in the mott insulator ca 2 ruo 4 |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.9.011032 |
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