A Self-Consistent, Semiclassical Electrothermal Modeling Framework for Mott Devices

Mott materials have been investigated since late 1950s for their remarkably abrupt insulator to metal transition (IMT) in response to changes in temperature, strain, or electrical stimulus. Interest in these materials has been revived by recent demonstration of nanosecond-scale switching along with reproducible and fully reversible transitions in VO
₂
-based thin film devices. These phenomena make VO
₂
-based Mott insulator devices technologically relevant for various applications, such as memory selectors, logic switches, and building blocks for neuromorphic computing. Several groups have provisionally attributed the IMT switching to Joule heating. However, an electrothermal device simulation framework that self-consistently reproduces IMT phase transition, and in addition, explaining a variety of electrical/optical phenomena associated with IMT is still lacking. In this paper, we develop a self-consistent electrothermal device simulation framework which captures these key experimental attributes of IMT using VO
₂
as a model material. This framework will enable predictive modeling as well as provide insight on switching mechanisms and design of novel Mott insulator devices.