Electric-Field-Driven Resistive Switching in the Dissipative Hubbard Model

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Quantum Materials
• Non-equilibrium Physics

Background:

• Understanding electron behavior in strongly correlated systems under external fields is crucial for novel electronic devices.
• Dissipative lattices and non-equilibrium dynamics present significant theoretical and experimental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the non-equilibrium steady states of strongly correlated electrons on a dissipative lattice under a constant electric field.
• To determine the limits of the linear response regime and characterize hysteretic nonlinear effects at higher fields.

Main Methods:

• Utilized non-equilibrium dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) in the Coulomb gauge.
• Accessed non-equilibrium steady states non-perturbatively in both electric field and electronic interactions.

Main Results:

• The linear response regime breaks down at electric fields significantly smaller than the quasiparticle energy scale, limited by Joule heating.
• Strong electric fields can induce resistive switching, driving strongly correlated metals into Mott insulators for large electronic interactions.
• A nonmonotonic upper switching field is predicted, resulting from particle renormalization and field-driven temperature effects.

Conclusions:

• Hysteretic current-voltage (I-V) curves indicate that non-equilibrium current is mediated by a spatially inhomogeneous metal-insulator mixed state.
• The study reveals complex non-equilibrium phenomena in correlated electron systems, with potential implications for advanced materials and devices.