Resistive switching is one of the key phenomena for applications such as nonvolatile memories or neuromorphic computing. V3O5, a compound of the vanadium oxide Magnéli series, is one of the rare materials to exhibit an insulator-metal transition (IMT) above room temperature (Tc ~ 415 K). Here we demonstrate both static dc resistive switching (RS) and fast oscillatory spiking regimes in V3O5 devices at room temperature (120 K below the phase transition temperature) by applying an electric field. We use operando optical imaging to track a reflectivity change during the RS and find that a percolating high temperature metallic phase filament is formed. This demonstrates that the electrically induced RS triggers the phase transition. Furthermore, we optically capture the spiking oscillations that we link to the negative differential resistance regime and find the filament forms and dissolves via a periodic spatio-temporal instability that we describe by numerical simulations.
We demonstrate an electrically induced, non-volatile, metal-insulator phase transition in a MoS$_2$ transistor. A single crystalline, epitaxially grown, PbZr$_{0.2}$Ti$_{0.8}$O$_3$ (PZT) was placed in the gate of a field effect transistor made of thin film MoS$_2$. When a gate voltage is applied to this ferroelectric gated transistor, a clear transition from insulator to metal and vice versa is observed. Importantly, when the gate voltage is turned off, the remnant polarization in the ferroelectric can keep the MoS$_2$ in its original phase, thereby providing a non-volatile state. Thus a metal…
Single photon sources are required for a wide range of applications in quantum information science, quantum cryptography and quantum communications. However, so far majority of room temperature emitters are only excited optically, which limits their proper integration into scalable devices. In this work, we overcome this limitation and present room temperature electrically triggered light emission from localized defects in zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and thin films. The devices emit at the red spectral range and show excellent rectifying behavior. The emission is stable over an extensive pe…
Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TIs) are candidate materials for various electronic and spintronic devices due to their strong spin-orbit coupling and unique surface electronic structure. Rapid, low-cost preparation of large-area TI thin films compatible with conventional semiconductor technology is key to the practical applications of TIs. Here, we show that wafer-sized Bi2Te3 family TI and magnetic TI films with decent quality and well-controlled composition and properties can be prepared on amorphous SiO2/Si substrates by magnetron cosputtering. The SiO2/Si substrates enable …
We study theoretically the RKKY interaction between magnetic impurities on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators, mediated by the helical Dirac electrons. Exact analytical expression shows that the RKKY interaction consists of the Heisenberg-like, Ising-like and DM-like terms. It provides us a new way to control surface magnetism electrically. The gap opened by doped magnetic ions can lead to a short-range Bloembergen-Rowland interaction. The competition among the Heisenberg, Ising and DM terms leads to rich spin configurations and anomalous Hall effect on different lattices.
We report here a discovery of electrically driven insulator to metal transition (IMT) and concomitant isostructural volume expansion in the layered cobaltates which otherwise do not exhibit temperature dependent IMT. These findings are demonstrated at macroscopic, microscopic and atomic scales. With application of voltage growth of metallic regions have been observed in the 2D layered La2-xSrxCoO4. Growth of metallic regions is associated with volume increase (strain as high as 0.3%). Non thermal IMT and electro-strain are proposed to be caused by electro-proliferation of the Co3+ high spin st…
The correlated oxide SmNiO3 (SNO) exhibits an insulator to metal transition (MIT) at 130 °C in bulk form. We report on synthesis and electron transport in SNO films deposited on LaAlO3 (LAO) and Si single crystals. X-ray diffraction studies show that compressively strained single-phase SNO grows epitaxially on LAO while on Si, mixed oxide phases are observed. MIT is observed in resistance-temperature measurements in films grown on both substrates, with charge transport in-plane for LAO/SNO films and out-of-plane for Si/SNO films. Electrically-driven memristive behavior is realized in LAO/SNO f…
Excitation and propagation dynamics of spin waves in an iron-based garnet film under out-of-plane magnetic field were investigated by time-resolved magneto-optical imaging. The experimental results and the following data analysis by phase-resolved spin-wave tomography reveal the excitation of spin waves triggered by photo-induced demagnetization (PID) along the sample depth direction. Moreover, the fast relaxation of PID accompanied by the spin transfer due to spin-wave emission was observed. Possible scenarios of PID in the garnet film are discussed. Finally, we develop a model for the spin-w…
Rare-earth nickelates form an intriguing series of correlated perovskite oxides. Apart from LaNiO3, they exhibit on cooling a sharp metal-insulator electronic phase transition, a concurrent structural phase transition and a magnetic phase transition toward an unusual antiferromagnetic spin order. Appealing for various applications, full exploitation of these compounds is still hampered by the lack of global understanding of the interplay between their electronic, structural and magnetic properties. Here, we show from first-principles calculations that the metal-insulator transition of nickelat…
Current-induced magnetization switching through spin-orbit torques (SOTs) is the fundamental building block of spin-orbitronics. The SOTs generally arise from the spin-orbit coupling of heavy metals. However, even in a heterostructure where a metallic magnet is sandwiched by two different insulators, a nonzero current-induced SOT is expected because of the broken inversion symmetry; an electrical insulator can be a spin-torque generator. Here, we demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching using an insulator. We show that oxygen incorporation into the most widely used spintronic materi…
We study coherent transport in density tunable micro-devices patterned from thin films of the topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3. The devices exhibit pronounced electric field effect, including ambipolar modulation of the resistance with an on/off ratio of 500%. We show that the weak antilocalization (WAL) correction to conductance is sensitive to the number of coherently coupled channels, which in a TI includes the top and bottom surface and the bulk carriers. These are separated into coherently independent channels by the application of gate voltage and at elevated temperatures. Our results a…
Electrically driven metal-insulator transition in vanadium dioxide (VO2) is of interest in emerging memory devices, neural computation, and high speed electronics. We report on the fabrication of out-of-plane VO2 metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures and reproducible high-speed switching measurements in these two-terminal devices. We have observed a clear correlation between electrically-driven ON/OFF current ratio and thermally-induced resistance change during metal-insulator transition. It is also found that sharp metal-insulator transition could be triggered by external voltage pulses with…
Based on a combination of $k \cdot p$ theory, band topology analysis and electronic structure calculations, we predict the (111) thin films of the SnTe class of three-dimensional (3D) topological crystalline insulators realize the quantum spin Hall phase in a wide range of thickness. The nontrivial topology originates from the inter-surface coupling of the topological surface states of TCI in the 3D limit. The inter-surface coupling changes sign and gives rise to topological phase transitions as a function of film thickness. Furthermore, this coupling can be strongly affected by an external el…
The electronic band gap in conventional semiconductor materials, such as silicon, is fixed by the material's crystal structure and chemical composition. The gap defines the material's transport and optical properties and is of great importance for performance of semiconductor devices like diodes, transistors and lasers. The ability to tune its value would allow enhanced functionality and flexibility of future electronic and optical devices. Recently, an electrically tunable band gap was realized in a 2D material - electronically gated bilayer graphene [1-3]. Here we demonstrate the realization…
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers, optically-active atomic defects in diamond, have attracted tremendous interest for quantum sensing, network, and computing applications due to their excellent quantum coherence and remarkable versatility in a real, ambient environment. Taking advantage of these strengths, we report on NV-based local sensing of the electrically driven insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in a proximal Mott insulator. We studied the resistive switching properties of both pristine and ion-irradiated VO2 thin film devices by performing optically detected NV electron spin resonance mea…
We propose a minimal tight-binding model for thin films made of topological crystalline insulator (TCI) on the basis of the mirror and discrete rotational symmetries. The basic term consists of the spin-orbit interaction describing a Weyl semimetal, where gapless Dirac cones emerge at all the high symmetry points in the momentum space. We then introduce the mass term providing gaps to Dirac cones at our disposal. They simulate the thin films made of the [001], [111] and [110] TCI surfaces. TCI thin films are topological insulators protected by the mirror symmetry. We analyze the mirror-Chern n…
Some correlated materials display an insulator-to-metal transition as the temperature is increased. In most cases this transition can also be induced electrically, resulting in volatile resistive switching due to the formation of a conducting filament. While this phenomenon has attracted much attention due to potential applications, many fundamental questions remain unaddressed. One of them is its characteristic lengths: what sets the size of these filaments, and how does this impact resistive switching properties. Here we use a combination of wide-field and scattering-type scanning near-field…
We report the growth of high quality Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_x$Te$_{3-y}$Se$_y$ ultrathin nanoplates (BSTS-NPs) on an electrically insulating fluorophlogopite mica substrate using a catalyst-free vapor solid method. Under an optimized pressure and suitable Ar gas flow rate, we control the thickness, the size and the composition of BSTS-NPs. Raman spectra showing systematic change indicate that the thicknesses and compositions of BSTS-NPs are indeed accurately controlled. Electrical transport demonstrates that a robust Dirac cone carrier transport in BSTS-NPs. Since BSTS-NPs provide superior dominant sur…
The capability to switch electrically between superconducting and insulating states of matter represents a novel paradigm in the state-of-the-art engineering of correlated electronic systems. An exciting possibility is to turn on superconductivity in a topologically non-trivial insulator, which provides a route to search for non-Abelian topological states. However, existing demonstrations of superconductor-insulator switches have involved only topologically trivial systems, and even those are rare due to the stringent requirement to tune the carrier density over a wide range. Here we report re…
Three-dimensional topological crystalline insulators were recently predicted and observed in the SnTe class of IV-VI semiconductors, which host metallic surface states protected by crystal symmetries. In this work, we study thin films of these materials and expose their potential for device applications. We demonstrate that thin films of SnTe and Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Se(Te) grown along the (001) direction are topologically nontrivial in a wide range of film thickness and carry conducting spin-filtered edge states that are protected by the (001) mirror symmetry via a topological invariant. Application o…
Silicene is a monolayer of silicon atoms forming a honeycomb lattice. The lattice is actually made of two sublattices with a tiny separation. Silicene is a topological insulator, which is characterized by a full insulating gap in the bulk and helical gapless edges. It undergoes a phase transition from a topological insulator to a band insulator by applying external electric field. Analyzing the spin Chern number based on the effective Dirac theory, we find their origin to be a pseudospin meron in the momentum space. The peudospin degree of freedom arises from the two-sublattice structure. Our …
In the quantum anomalous Hall effect, chiral edge modes are expected to conduct spin polarized current without dissipation and thus hold great promise for future electronics and spintronics with low energy consumption. However, spin polarization of chiral edge modes has never been established in experiments. In this work, we theoretically study spin polarization of chiral edge modes in the quantum anomalous Hall effect, based on both the effective model and more realistic tight-binding model constructed from the first principles calculations. We find that spin polarization can be manipulated b…
The electronic correlations (e.g. unconventional superconductivity (SC), chiral charge order and nematic order) and giant anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in topological kagome metals AV3Sb5 (A= K, Rb, and Cs) have attracted great interest. Electrical control of those correlated electronic states and AHE allows us to resolve their own nature and origin and to discover new quantum phenomena. Here, we show that a protonic gate can largely modulate the effective disorders and carrier density in CsV3Sb5 nanoflakes, leading to significant modifications of SC, unusual charge density wave (CDW) and giant …
High surface-mobility, which is attributable to topological protection, is a trademark of three-dimensional topological insulators (3DTIs). Exploiting surface-mobility indicates successful application of topological properties for practical purposes. However, the detection of the surface-mobility has been hindered by the inevitable bulk conduction. Even in the case of high-quality crystals, the bulk state forms the dominant channel of the electrical current. Therefore, with electrical transport measurement, the surface-mobility can be resolved only below-micrometer-thick crystals. The evaluati…
Electrically driven Rabi dynamics of magnetic-field-induced corner states in a two-dimensional topological insulator
National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod（下诺夫哥罗德国立研究大学（罗巴切夫斯基大学））；National Research University Higher School of Economics（高等经济国家研究大学）；Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier（夏尔·库仑实验室（L2C），法国国家科学研究中心-蒙彼利埃大学联合研究单位5221）；Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg（维尔茨堡尤利乌斯-马克西米利安大学）
We report room temperature electrical detection of spin injection from a ferromagnetic insulator (YIG) into a ferromagnetic metal (Permalloy, Py). Non-equilibrium spins with both static and precessional spin polarizations are dynamically generated by the ferromagnetic resonance of YIG magnetization, and electrically detected by Py as dc and ac spin currents, respectively. The dc spin current is electrically detected via the inverse spin Hall effect of Py, while the ac spin current is converted to a dc voltage via the spin rectification effect of Py which is resonantly enhanced by dynamic excha…
We studied the nonlinear electric response in WTe2 and MoTe2 monolayers. When the inversion symmetry is breaking but the the time-reversal symmetry is preserved, a second-order Hall effect called the nonlinear anomalous Hall effect (NLAHE) emerges owing to the nonzero Berry curvature on the nonequilibrium Fermi surface. We reveal a strong NLAHE with a Hall-voltage that is quadratic with respect to the longitudinal current. The optimal current direction is normal to the mirror plane in these two-dimensional (2D) materials. The NLAHE can be sensitively tuned by an out-of-plane electric field, wh…
The Dirac-like surface states of the topological insulators (TIs) are protected by time reversal symmetry (TRS) and exhibit a host of novel properties. Introducing magnetism into TI, which breaks the TRS, is expected to create exotic topological magnetoelectric effects. A particularly intriguing phenomenon in this case is the magnetic field dependence of electrical resistance, or magnetoresistance (MR). The intricate interplay between topological protection and broken-TRS may lead to highly unconventional MR behaviour that can find unique applications in magnetic sensing and data storage. Howe…
In this paper, we demonstrate by simulation the feasibility of electrostatically doped and therefore reconfigurable planar field-effect-transistor (FET) structure which is based on our already fabricated and published Si-nanowire (SiNW) devices. The technological cornerstones for this dual-gated general purpose FET contain Schottky S/D junctions on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The transistor type, i.e. n-type or p-type FET, is electrically selectable on the fly by applying an appropriate control-gate voltage which significantly increases the versatility and flexibility in the design…
Here we demonstrate that water-infiltrated nanoporous glass electrically switches an oxide semiconductor from an insulator to metal. We fabricated the field effect transistor structure on an oxide semiconductor, SrTiO3, using 100%-water-infiltrated nanoporous glass - amorphous 12CaO*7Al2O3 - as the gate insulator. For positive gate voltage, electron accumulation, water electrolysis and electrochemical reduction occur successively on the SrTiO3 surface at room temperature, leading to the formation of a thin (~3 nm) metal layer with an extremely high electron concentration of 10^15-10^16 cm^-2, …
We report spin-current generation related with skyrmion dynamics resonantly excited by a microwave in a helimagnetic insulator $\mathrm{Cu_2OSeO_3}$. A Pt layer was fabricated on $\mathrm{Cu_2OSeO_3}$ and voltage in the Pt layer was measured upon magnetic resonance of $\mathrm{Cu_2OSeO_3}$ to electrically detect injected spin currents via the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in Pt. We found that ISHE-induced electromotive forces appear in the skyrmion phase of $\mathrm{Cu_2OSeO_3}$ as well as in the ferrimagnetic phase, which shows that magnetic skyrmions can contribute to the spin pumping effe…
Energy-efficient programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are the cornerstone of on-chip classical and quantum optical technologies. Optical phase shifters constitute the fundamental building blocks which enable these programmable PICs. Thus far, carrier modulation and thermo-optical effect are the chosen phenomena for ultrafast and low-loss phase shifters, respectively; however, the state and information they carry are lost once the power is turned off-they are volatile. The volatility not only compromises energy efficiency due to their demand for constant power supply, but also precl…
The external controllability of topological superconductors and Majorana fermions would be important both for fundamental and practical interests. Here we predict the electric-field control of Majorana fermions in two-dimensional topological superconductors utilizing a topological insulator thin film proximity coupled to a conventional $s$-wave superconductor. With ferromagnetic ordering, the tunable structure inversion asymmetry by vertical electric field could induce topological quantum phase transition and realize a chiral topological superconductor state. A zero-energy Majorana bound state…
Topological phase transition in a single material usually refers to transitions between a trivial band insulator and a topological Dirac phase, but the transition may also occur between different classes of topological Dirac phases. However, it is a fundamental challenge to realize quantum transition between Z2 nontrivial topological insulator (TI) and topological crystalline insulator (TCI) in one material because Z2 TI and TCI are hardly both co-exist in a single material due to their contradictory requirement on the number of band inversions. The Z2 TIs must have an odd number of band inver…
We report here metal to insulator transition, colossal Seebeck coefficient and ultralow thermal conductivity (0.0057th of its bulk value, significantly smaller than many well-known thermoelectric materials and silicon, showing potential applications in thermoelectrics, electronics and photonics for heat dissipation) in monodispersed well characterized Ni nanoparticles. As a consequence, thermoelectric power factor and figure of merit are significantly enhanced compared to their bulk counterpart. Interestingly, a systematic crossover from metallic to semiconducting to finally electrically insul…
On the basis of ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we derive the underlying microscopic model Hamiltonian for TiOCl, a unique system that shows two consecutive phase transitions from a Mott insulator to a spin-Peierls insulator through a structurally incommensurate phase. We show with our model that the presence of magnetic frustration in TiOCl leads to a competition with the spin-Peierls distortion, which results in the novel incommensurate phase. In addition, our calculations indicate that the spin-Peierls state is triggered by adiabatic phonons, which is essential for u…
Ferroelectric Altermagnetic Chern Insulator in magnetic field: electrical control of the Chern number
International Research Centre Magtop, Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences（波兰科学院物理研究所磁顶国际研究中心）；Department of Physics, University of Guilan（吉兰大学物理系）
We evaluate quantum corrections to conductivity in an electrically gated thin film of a three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI). We derive approximate analytical expressions for the low-field magnetoresistance as a function of bulk doping and bulk-surface tunneling rate. Our results reveal parameter regimes for both weak localization and weak antilocalization, and include diffusive Weyl semimetals as a special case.
Strongly correlated materials that exhibit an insulator-metal transition are key candidates in the search for new computing platforms. Understanding the pathways and timescales underlying the electrically-driven insulator-metal transition is crucial for uncovering the fundamental limits of device operation. Using stroboscopic electron diffraction, we perform synchronized time-resolved measurements of atomic motions and electronic transport in operating vanadium dioxide switches. We discover an electrically-triggered, isostructural state that forms transiently on microsecond timescales, stabili…
The recent discovery of antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological insulator (TI) MnBi$_2$Te$_4$ has triggered great research efforts on exploring novel magnetic topological physics. Based on first-principles calculations, we find that the manipulation of magnetic orientation and order not only significantly affects material symmetries and orbital hybridizations, but also results in variant new magnetic topological phases in MnBi$_2$Te$_4$. We thus predict a series of unusual topological quantum phase transitions that are magnetically controllable in the material, including phase transitions from AFM…
Magnetic insulators are a key resource for next-generation spintronic and topological devices. The family of layered metal halides promises ultrathin insulating multiferroics, spin liquids, and ferromagnets, but new characterization methods are required to unlock their potential. Here, we report tunneling through the layered magnetic insulator CrI3 as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. We electrically detect the magnetic ground state and inter-layer coupling and observe a field-induced metamagnetic transition. The metamagnetic transition results in magnetoresistances of 95%,…
We report a double-layer electronic system made of two closely-spaced but electrically isolated graphene monolayers sandwiched in boron nitride. For large carrier densities in one of the layers, the adjacent layer no longer exhibits a minimum metallic conductivity at the neutrality point, and its resistivity diverges at low temperatures. This divergence can be suppressed by magnetic field or by reducing the carrier density in the adjacent layer. We believe that the observed localization is intrinsic for neutral graphene with generic disorder if metallic electron-hole puddles are screened out.
Resistive switching can be achieved in a Mott insulator by applying current/voltage, which triggers an insulator-metal transition (IMT). This phenomenon is key for understanding IMT physics and developing novel memory elements and brain-inspired technology. Despite this, the roles of electric field and Joule heating in the switching process remain controversial. We resolve this issue by studying nanowires of two archetypical Mott insulators - VO2 and V2O3. Our findings show a crossover between two qualitatively different regimes. In one, the IMT is driven by Joule heating to the transition tem…
The Dirac electrons occupying the surface states (SSs) of topological insulators (TIs) have been predicted to exhibit many exciting magneto-transport phenomena. Here we report on the first experimental observation of an unconventional planar Hall effect (PHE) and an electrically gate-tunable hysteretic planar magnetoresistance (PMR) in EuS/TI heterostructures, in which EuS is a ferromagnetic insulator (FMI) with an in-plane magnetization. In such exchange-coupled FMI/TI heterostructures, we find a significant (suppressed) PHE when the in-plane magnetic field is parallel (perpendicular) to the …
Attractive negative-$U$ interactions between electrons facilitated by strong electron-phonon interaction are common in highly polarizable and disordered materials such as amorphous chalcogenides, but there is no direct evidence for them in large-band-gap insulators. Here we report how such negative-$U$ centers are responsible for widespread insulator-to-metal transitions in amorphous HfO$_2$ and Al$_2$O$_3$ thin films with a 10$^9$-fold resistance drop. Triggered by a static hydraulic pressure or a 0.1 ps impulse of magnetic pressure, the transition can proceed at such low pressure that there …
Polycrystalline Sr$_3$OsO$_6$, which is an ordered double-perovskite insulator, is synthesized via solid-state reaction under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions of 1200 $^\circ$C and 6 GPa. The synthesis enables us to conduct a comparative study of the bulk form of Sr$_3$OsO$_6$ toward revealing the driving mechanism of 1000 K ferromagnetism, which has recently been discovered for epitaxially grown Sr$_3$OsO$_6$ films. Unlike the film, the bulk is dominated by antiferromagnetism rather than ferromagnetism. Therefore, robust ferromagnetic order appears only when Sr$_3$OsO$_6$ is unde…
In this paper, we demonstrate by simulation the general usability of an electrostatically doped and electrically reconfigurable planar field-effect transistor (FET) structure. The device concept is partly based on our already published and fabricated silicon nanowire 3D-FET technology. The technological key features of this general purpose FET contain Schottky S/D junctions on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate additionally enabling high-temperature operation of the proposed device. The transistors charge carrier type, i.e. n- or ptype FET, is electrically switchable on the fly by applying…
Two-dimensional magnetic insulators can be promising hosts for topological magnons. In this study, we show that ABC-stacked honeycomb lattice multilayers with alternating Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) reveal a rich topological magnon phase diagram. Based on our bandstructure and Berry curvature calculations, we demonstrate jumps in the thermal Hall behavior that corroborate with topological phase transitions triggered by adjusting the DMI and interlayer coupling. We connect the phase diagram of generic multilayers to a bilayer and a trilayer system. We find an even-odd effect amongst…
The terahertz (THz) frequency range (0.1-10 THz) fills the gap between the microwave and optical parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Recent progress in the generation and detection of the THz radiation has made it a powerful tool for fundamental research and resulted in a number of applications. However, some important components necessary to effectively manipulate THz radiation are still missing. In particular, active polarization and phase control over a broad THz band would have major applications in science and technology. It would, e.g., enable high-speed modulation for wireless commun…
