Electric Switching of the Charge-Density-Wave and Normal Metallic Phases in Tantalum Disulfide Thin-Film Devices

TL;DR

This study demonstrates electric-field induced switching among multiple charge-density-wave phases and the normal metallic phase in 1T-TaS2 thin films over a wide temperature range, highlighting the role of Joule heating and noise spectroscopy in phase transition analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a method to electrically switch between multiple phases in 1T-TaS2 thin films and uses noise spectroscopy to monitor these phase transitions.

Findings

Electric switching among four phases achieved from 77 K to 400 K.

Noise spectral density increases sharply at phase transition points.

Joule heating is identified as the dominant mechanism for phase transitions.

Abstract

We report on switching among three charge-density-wave phases - commensurate, nearly commensurate, incommensurate - and the high-temperature normal metallic phase in thin-film 1T-TaS2 devices induced by application of an in-plane electric field. The electric switching among all phases has been achieved over a wide temperature range, from 77 K to 400 K. The low-frequency electronic noise spectroscopy has been used as an effective tool for monitoring the transitions, particularly the switching from the incommensurate charge-density-wave phase to the normal metal phase. The noise spectral density exhibits sharp increases at the phase transition points, which correspond to the step-like changes in resistivity. Assignment of the phases is consistent with low-field resistivity measurements over the temperature range from 77 K to 600 K. Analysis of the experimental data and calculations of heat dissipation suggest that Joule heating plays a dominant role in the electric-field induced transitions in the tested 1T-TaS2 devices on Si/SiO2 substrates. The possibility of electrical switching among four different phases of 1T-TaS2 is a promising step toward nanoscale device applications. The results also demonstrate the potential of noise spectroscopy for investigating and identifying phase transitions in materials.