Nanoelectronics Using Metal–Insulator Transition

Abstract

Metal‐insulator transition coupled with an ultrafast, significant, and reversible resistive change in Mott insulators has attracted tremendous interest for investigation into next‐generation electronic and optoelectronic devices, as well as a fundamental understanding of condensed matter systems. Although the mechanism of MIT in Mott insulators is still controversial, great efforts have been made to understand and modulate MIT behavior for various electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this review, we highlight recent progress in the field of nanoelectronics utilizing MIT. We begin with a brief introduction to the physics of MIT and its underlying mechanisms. After discussing the MIT behaviors of various Mott insulators, we describe recent advances in the design and fabrication of nanoelectronics devices based on MIT, including memories, gas sensors, photodetectors, logic circuits, and artificial neural networks. Finally, we provide an outlook on the development and future applications of nanoelectronics utilizing MIT. This review can serve as an overview and a comprehensive understanding of the design of MIT‐based nanoelectronics for future electronic and optoelectronic devices.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Piezo strain–controlled phase transition in single-crystalline Mott switches for threshold-manipulated leaky integrate-and-fire neurons

“…The discovery of quantum materials featuring metal-insulator transition (MIT) has prompted efforts to control the reversible phase transition by applying external stimuli to overcome the limitations of current electronic devices ( 1 – 10 ). As an archetypical quantum material with an MIT, VO 2 undergoes abrupt MIT upon more than three orders of magnitude of electrical-conductance modulation, along with submicrosecond transition time ( 1 , 2 , 4 – 6 , 9 , 10 ).…”

“…The discovery of quantum materials featuring metal-insulator transition (MIT) has prompted efforts to control the reversible phase transition by applying external stimuli to overcome the limitations of current electronic devices ( 1 – 10 ). As an archetypical quantum material with an MIT, VO 2 undergoes abrupt MIT upon more than three orders of magnitude of electrical-conductance modulation, along with submicrosecond transition time ( 1 , 2 , 4 – 6 , 9 , 10 ). By using these exotic material functionalities, two-terminal devices can cause a voltage-triggered insulator-to-metal transition (i.e., threshold switching), thereby sensing the multiple states of electrical conductance of VO 2 by controlling the magnitude and time interval of voltage stimuli ( 1 , 4 – 6 , 9 , 10 ).…”

“…As an archetypical quantum material with an MIT, VO 2 undergoes abrupt MIT upon more than three orders of magnitude of electrical-conductance modulation, along with submicrosecond transition time ( 1 , 2 , 4 – 6 , 9 , 10 ). By using these exotic material functionalities, two-terminal devices can cause a voltage-triggered insulator-to-metal transition (i.e., threshold switching), thereby sensing the multiple states of electrical conductance of VO 2 by controlling the magnitude and time interval of voltage stimuli ( 1 , 4 – 6 , 9 , 10 ). Thus, stimuli-dependent conductance modulation enables two-terminal VO 2 threshold switches to emulate the function of neurons as an ultracompact artificial neuron ( 1 , 4 , 5 , 11 – 13 ).…”

Recent developments in the state-of-the-art optoelectronic synaptic devices based on 2D materials: a review

“…57 Other emerging research fields are being explored to develop metal–insulator phase transition (MIT) materials or Mott insulators to fabricate the building blocks of neural networks. 58–60 The Mott insulators have shown great promise due to their inherent phase transition characteristics under multiple external excitations like electrical, optical, thermal, and magnetic. 61 These materials undergo a phase transition from the insulator to metallic state and return to their initial insulating state under voltage bias, with the potential for mimicking the biological synaptic functionalities.…”

Mechanical Bending Strain-Actuated Modulation of Metal–Insulator Transition Temperature in Flexible Epitaxial V2O3 Films

“…Despite decades of research, the interplay between spin, orbital, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom (DOF) in CEMs continues to be one of the most extensively studied subjects in the field of condensed matter physics. − By leveraging the interplay among multiple DOF, abundant promising functionalities have been proposed for a wide range of applications. − Recently, CEMs that can undergo an MIT, such as VO 2 , V 2 O 3 , NbO 2 , etc., have been intensely explored owing to their vast potential in neuromorphic computing, information storage, and filters as well as sensors. − At ambient pressure and temperature, bulk V 2 O 3 is a paramagnetic metal with a corundum-type rhombohedral structure ( a = 4.95 Å and c = 14.00 Å). , As an archetypal CEM, bulk V 2 O 3 exhibits an MIT at a critical temperature of approximately 160 K. , This MIT is accompanied by a structural phase transition (SPT) from rhombohedral to monoclinic symmetry as well as a magnetic phase transition (MPT) from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic ordering. , Upon cooling through the MIT, the nearest-neighbor vanadium pairs tilt with respect to the hexagonal c -axis . Meanwhile, the three equivalent nearest-neighbor vanadium bonds in the rhombohedral symmetry are elongated to different extents…”