An electric field-driven MIT in strongly-correlated thin-film superlattices: an inhomogeneous dynamical mean-field theory study*

Using an inhomogeneous dynamical mean-field theory (IDMFT) approach to the single-band Hubbard model we investigate the properties of thin-film superlattices made up of alternating strongly ($U_1$) and weakly ($U_2 < U_1$) correlated regions. In particular, we study the influence of temperature, doping, interaction strengths ($U_1, U_2$), superlattice parameters ($L_1, L_2$) and transverse electric field on the correlation driven Mott-Hubbard metal-to-insulator transition. We find that when the periodicity of the superlattice is such that the strongly correlated regions are below a certain thickness, the MIT is suppressed due to proximity effects.