Mott materials: unsuccessful metals with a bright future

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current understanding of Mott materials, focusing on their insulator-to-metal transition, and discusses recent advances in controlling their switching dynamics for next-generation electronic devices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in Mott transition research, emphasizing control methods and recent technological advances for device applications.

Findings

Voltage and electromagnetic pulses can control Mott switching dynamics.

Recent time- and space-resolved techniques enhance understanding of the firing process.

Voltage/light-induced Mott switching enables ultrafast, reversible control of conductivity.

Abstract

Achieving the full understanding and control of the insulator-to-metal transition in Mott materials is key for the next generation of electronics devices, with applications ranging from ultrafast transistors, volatile and non-volatile memories and artificial neurons for neuromorphic computing. In this work, we will review the state-of-the-art knowledge of the Mott transition, with specific focus on materials of relevance for actual devices, such as vanadium and other transition metal oxides and chalcogenides. We will emphasize the current attempts in controlling the Mott switching dynamics via the application of external voltage and electromagnetic pulses and we will discuss how the recent advances in time- and space-resolved techniques are boosting the comprehension of the firing process. The nature of the voltage/light-induced Mott switching is inherently different from what is attainable by the slower variation of thermodynamic parameters, thus offering promising routes to achieving the reversible and ultrafast control of conductivity and magnetism in Mott nanodevices.