Tunable Phase Transitions and Resistive Switching in Engineered Mott Insulators

In some Mott insulators temperature changes and electrical currents can change resistance by orders-of-

magnitude due to an insulator-metal phase transition. The volatility and stochasticity of switching in these

materials enables various kinds of unique applications. In this talk I will present our recent advances in defect- and

strain- engineering of Mott insulators and devices thereof. I will first discuss how defects induced by ion irradiation

in V₂O₃ and VO₂ devices can induce a non-thermal insulator-metal transition when current is driven through these

materials and how this allows to define the real-space trajectory of the phase transition. I will also show the ability

to non-thermally induce either the metallic or insulating phase in the hysteresis regime of V₂O₃ using photo-

excitation. I will then discuss strain engineering in V₂O₃ which allows to tune the trajectory of the phase transition,

providing access to hitherto inaccessible regions of the phase diagram. These unusual states of matter hold great

promise for resistive switching applications, both in terms of energy efficiency and functionality. Lastly, I will

discuss our most recent muon spin rotation study which reveals magnetic precursors to the coupled structural and

electronic transitions in the prototypical Mott insulator V₂O₃.