Electrical Switching in Mott Material 1D Nanowires: Joule Heating vs. Electric Field*

We show unambiguous evidence for thermal and non-thermal mechanisms behind the insulator-to-metal transition in current-driven Mott materials. Distinguishing between these two mechanisms has proven difficult due to inhomogeneity of the current distribution in the device. By reducing the dimensionality of the devices to a one dimensional nanowire, inhomogeneity is avoided, thus allowing the two different mechanisms to be identified. The differences between the switching mechanisms in two prototypical Mott materials, VO₂ and V₂O₃, are discussed. Our results have direct implications for applications in neuromorphic technologies.