Current-Driven Insulator-To-Metal Transition in Strongly Correlated VO2

Electric current can induce an ultrafast phase transition in vanadium dioxide that completely changes the material's conductivity, offering potential device applications such as memristors for information technology. This transition is thought to be induced by strong correlation among electrons, not by Joule heating, though the situation remains murky. The authors use phase-field modeling to investigate the possible mechanism of a current-induced nonthermal transition, and construct the temperature-current phase diagram for VO${}_{2}$. They also show that domain walls can be moved by the current. These findings should help to guide the design of VO${}_{2}$-based electronics.