arXiv subjects

Hyun-Tak Kim

Publications and source records attributed to Hyun-Tak Kim.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Mott transition in VO2 revealed by infrared spectroscopy and nano-imaging

Electrons in correlated insulators are prevented from conducting by Coulomb repulsion between them. When an insulator-to-metal transition is induced in a correlated insulator by doping or heating, the resulting conducting state can be radically different from that characterized by free electrons in conventional metals. We report on the electronic properties of a prototypical correlated insulator vanadium dioxide (VO2) in which the metallic state can be induced by increasing temperature. Scanning near-field infrared microscopy allows us to directly image nano-scale metallic puddles that appear at the onset of the insulator-to-metal transition. In combination with far-field infrared spectroscopy, the data reveal the Mott transition with divergent quasiparticle mass in the metallic puddles. The experimental approach employed here sets the stage for investigations of charge dynamics on the nanoscale in other inhomogeneous correlated electron systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Temperature dependence of Mott transition in VO_2 and programmable critical temperature sensor

The temperature dependence of the Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) is studied with a VO_2-based two-terminal device. When a constant voltage is applied to the device, an abrupt current jump is observed with temperature. With increasing applied voltages, the transition temperature of the MIT current jump decreases. We find a monoclinic and electronically correlated metal (MCM) phase between the abrupt current jump and the structural phase transition (SPT). After the transition from insulator to metal, a linear increase in current (or conductivity) is shown with temperature until the current becomes a constant maximum value above T_{SPT}=68^oC. The SPT is confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements. Optical microscopy analysis reveals the absence of the local current path in micro scale in the VO_2 device. The current uniformly flows throughout the surface of the VO_2 film when the MIT occurs. This device can be used as a programmable critical temperature sensor.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Monoclinic and Correlated Metal Phase in VO_2 as Evidence of the Mott Transition: Coherent Phonon Analysis

In femtosecond pump-probe measurements, the appearance of coherent phonon oscillations at 4.5 THz and 6.0 THz indicating the rutile metal phase of VO_2 does not occur simultaneously with the first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 68^oC. The monoclinic and correlated metal(MCM) phase between the MIT and the structural phase transition (SPT) is generated by a photo-assisted hole excitation which is evidence of the Mott transition. The SPT between the MCM phase and the rutile metal phase occurs due to subsequent Joule heating. The MCM phase can be regarded as an intermediate non-equilibrium state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Hole-driven MIT theory, Mott transition in VO_2, MoBRiK

For inhomogeneous high-T_c superconductors, hole-driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) theory explains that the gradual increase of conductivity with increasing hole doping is due to inhomogeneity with the local Mott system undergoing the first-order MIT and the local non-Mott system. For VO_2, a monoclinic and correlated metal (MCM) phase showing the linear characteristic as evidence of the Mott MIT is newly observed by applying electric field and temperature. The structural phase transition occurs between MCM and Rutile metal phases. Devices using the MIT are named MoBRiK.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Synthesis of VO_2 Nanowire and Observation of the Metal-Insulator Transition

We have fabricated crystalline nanowires of VO_2 using a new synthetic method. A nanowire synthesized at 650^oC shows the semiconducting behavior and a nanowire at 670^oC exhibits the first-order metal-insulator transition which is not the one-dimensional property. The temperature coefficient of resistance in the semiconducting nanowire is 7.06 %/K at 300 K, which is higher than that of commercial bolometer.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Mott transition observed by micro-Raman scattering in VO_2

A strongly correlated Mott first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) (or Jump) not accompanied by the structural phase transition (SPT) was clearly revealed in VO_2, (New J. Phys. 6 (1004) 52, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (2005) 242101, Physica B 369 (2005) 76). In order to re-confirm the MIT for a VO_2-based device with a narrow width of 3 micrmeter and a length of 20 micrometer such as a rod (Fig. A), both phonon peaks (Fig. B) by a micro-Raman scattering with a laser beam of about 5 micrometer and the MIT with jump in I-V curve (Fig. C) were simultaneously measured. A device like a rod has less inhomogeneity. The current was restricted for measurements. The phonon peaks of monoclinic exist even after the abrupt jump, and disappear in over 10 mA. The jump was changed to negative differential resistance type during Raman measurement after the jump. The high current causes a Joule heat which arises from the SPT near 68^oC from monoclinic to tetragonal. The clean film surface without a breakdown damage after several measurements was taken by a micro-photograph camera (Fig. A). The MIT (jump) occurs prior to the SPT and not affected by the SPT as evidence of electron-phonon interaction. Thus VO_2 is a Mott insulator not Peierls insulator.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Highly oriented VO2 thin films prepared by sol-gel deposition method

Highly oriented VO2 thin films were grown on sapphire substrates by the sol-gel method that includes a low pressure annealing in an oxygen atmosphere. This reduction process effectively promotes the formation of the VO2 phase over a relatively wide range of pressures below 100 mTorr and temperatures above 400oC. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that as-deposited films crystallize directly to the VO2 phase without passing through intermediate phases. VO2 films have been found to be with [100]- and [010]-preferred orientations on Al2O3(1012) and Al2O3(1010) substrates, respectively. Both films undergo a metal-insulator transition with an abrupt change in resistance, with different transition behaviors observed for the differently oriented films. For the [010]-oriented VO2 films a larger change in resistance of 1.2x10^4 and a lower transition temperature are found compared to the values obtained for the [100]-oriented films.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Abrupt metal-insulator transition observed in VO2 thin films induced by a switching voltage pulse

An abrupt metal-insulator transition (MIT) was observed in VO2 thin films during the application of a switching voltage pulse to two-terminal devices. Any switching pulse over a threshold voltage for the MIT of 7.1 V enabled the device material to transform efficiently from an insulator to a metal. The characteristics of the transformation were analyzed by considering both the delay time and rise time of the measured current response. The extrapolated switching time of the MIT decreased down to 9 ns as the external load resistance decreased to zero. Observation of the intrinsic switching time of the MIT in the correlated oxide films is impossible because of the inhomogeneity of the material; both the metallic state and an insulating state co-exist in the measurement volume. This indicates that the intrinsic switching time is in the order of less than a nanosecond. The high switching speed might arise from a strong correlation effect (Coulomb repulsion) between the electrons in the material.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Observation of abrupt first-order metal-insulator transition in GaAs-based two-terminal device

An abrupt first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) as a jump of the density of states is observed for Be doped GaAs, which is known as a semiconductor, by inducing very low holes of approximately n_p=5x10^{14} cm^{-3} into the valence band by the electric field; this is anomalous. In a higher hole doping concentration of n_p=6x10^{16} cm^{-3}, the abrupt MIT is not observed at room temperature, but measured at low temperature. A large discontinuous decrease of photoluminescence intensity at 1.43 eV energy gap and a negative differential resistance are also observed as further evidence of the MIT. The abrupt MIT does not undergo a structural phase transition and is accompanied with inhomogeneity. The upper limit of the temperature allowing the MIT is deduced to be approximately 440K from experimental data. The abrupt MIT rather than the continuous MIT is intrinsic and can explain the "breakdown" phenomenon (unsolved problem) incurred by a high electric field in semiconductor devices.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Observation of First-Order Metal-Insulator Transition without Structural Phase Transition in VO_2

An abrupt first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) without structural phase transition is first observed by current-voltage measurements and micro-Raman scattering experiments, when a DC electric field is applied to a Mott insulator VO_2 based two-terminal device. An abrupt current jump is measured at a critical electric field. The Raman-shift frequency and the bandwidth of the most predominant Raman-active A_g mode, excited by the electric field, do not change through the abrupt MIT, while, they, excited by temperature, pronouncedly soften and damp (structural MIT), respectively. This structural MIT is found to occur secondarily.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Temperature dependence and control of the Mott transition in VO_2 based devices

The transition voltage of an abrupt metal-insulator transition (MIT), observed by applying an electric field to two-terminal devices fabricated on a Mott insulator VO_2 film, decreases with increasing temperature up to 334K. The abrupt current jump disappears above 334 K near the MIT temperature. These results suggest that the mechanism of the abrupt MIT induced by temperature is the same as that by an electric field. The magnitude of the current jump (a large current) decreases with increasing external resistance; this is an important observation in terms of applying the abrupt MIT to device applications. Furthermore, the temperature and resistance dependence of the MIT cannot be explained by the dielectric breakdown although a current jump known as breakdown is similar to that observed in an abrupt MIT.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Gate-Induced Mott Transition

For a strongly correlated material, VO2, near a critical on-site Coulomb energy U/Uc=1, the abrupt Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) rather than the continuous Hubbard MIT is observed by inducing internal optical phonon-coupled holes (hole inducing of 0.018%) into conduction band, with a gate field of fabricated transistors. Observed gate effects, change of the MIT drain-source voltage caused by a gate field, are the effect of measurement due to inhomogeneity of channel material and is an average over the measurement region of the true gate effect based on the large conductivity (or effective mass) near the MIT predicted by the Brinkman-Rice picture. A discontinuous gate effect such as digital is observed, which is a characteristic of the transistor and a possible condition of a very high-speed switching transistor.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Observation of Mott Transition in VO_2 Based Transistors

An abrupt Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) rather than the continuous Hubbard MIT near a critical on-site Coulomb energy U/U_c=1 is observed for the first time in VO_2, a strongly correlated material, by inducing holes of about 0.018% into the conduction band. As a result, a discontinuous jump of the density of states on the Fermi surface is observed and inhomogeneity inevitably occurs. The gate effect in fabricated transistors is clear evidence that the abrupt MIT is induced by the excitation of holes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Temperature Dependence of Optical Spectra for the CDW Gap and Optical Phonons in BaBiO_3

We have studied the temperature dependence of the optical spectra for the CDW gap and optical phonons in a single crystal of BaBiO_3 and a film deposited by laser ablation. The integrated optical conductivity for optical phonons decreases rapidly with increasing temperature above 150 K, while the single-particle excitation across the CDW gap remains constant.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Small Josephson current and product deduced by means of measurement for an inhomogeneous superconductor: Extension of the Ambegaokar - Baratoff theory

For an inhomogeneous high-T_c superconductor, band-filling dependence of Josephson current and Josephson product is deduced at T=0 K by means of measurement; this is an extension of Ambegaokar-Baratoff Josephson current and product. The observed Josephson current, J_{obs}, is given by J_{obs}=ρJ_i, where 0<ρ<=1 is band filling (or local density). When ρ=1, J_{obs} = J_i is the intrinsic supercurrent occurring by Cooper pair. When 0<ρ<1, J_{obs} is an average of J_i over the measurement region and is the effect of measurement. The observed Ambegaokar-Baratoff Josephson product, based on the s-wave theory, is given by J_{obs}R_n =(π/{2})(ρ\triangle_i), where \triangle_i is the intrinsic superconducting gap and small, which results in small Josephson products observed by the experiments. The intrinsic gap, 4<{\triangle_i}<10 meV, is analyzed from the Josephson-product data of BSCCO. In addition, the triple-π-junction experiments, observing the half-flux quantum ({Φ_0}/2) as evidence of d-wave symmetry, are discussed by using means of measurement. Comments on a flux trap of the magnetic modulation experiment using Pb-YBCO dc SQUIDs are also given. Author's thought is given on the angle dependence of $J_c$ measured in whisker.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Paramagnetic Meissner Effect in Superconducting Single Crystals of Ba_{1-x}K_xBiO_3

The paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME) in the field cooled susceptibility has been observed in superconducting single crystals of Ba_{1-x}K_xBiO_3 using magnetometers of Quantum-Design Co.. The PME is similar to that observed in cuprates and Nb superconductors. For the Ba_{0.63}K_{0.37}BiO_3 crystal, the PME is observed in cooling process under the field up to 750 Oe. The PME was not found in the virgin-charged superconducting magnet. The PME is found in a superconductor with trapped flux and may arise from a remnant field, a temperature inhomogeneity near T_c, and a potassium-concentration inhomogeneity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Analyzing Intrinsic Superconducting Gap by Means of Measurement of Bi-2212 Superconductors

For the mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity in inhomogeneous Bi-2212 superconductors, we demonstrate the intrinsic superconducting gap,GAP_i, and pairing symmetry by using a developed GAP=GAP_i/rho, where GAP is the observed energy gap and 0<rho<=1 is band filling. When rho=1, GAP=GAP_i<=10 meV, measured at a node, is intrinsic. When 0<rho<1, GAP implies an averaging of GAP_i over the measurement region, which is the effect of measurement. From analysis's of conductance data, b=2GAP_i/k_BT_c is less than 4 when rho=1 and the density of state indicates s-wave symmetry. The superconducting gap anisotropy is attributed to the inhomogeneity of the metal phase and the insulating d-wave phase in the measurement region.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Magnetoresistances observed by decomposition of the magnetic moment in La1-xCaxMnO3 films

A ferromagnetic phase, characterized by electron carriers and a high temperature colossal magnetoresistance (HTCMR) dependent on the magnetic moment, and a semiconducting phase, characterized by hole carriers and a low temperature CMR (LTCMR), are observed in La$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$MnO$_3$ thin films by the van der Pauw method. The LTCMR is much more sensitive to the magnetic field than the HTCMR. In the ferromagnetic phase for films with anisotropic moments in two dimensions, a remnant resistivity of the order of 10$^{-8} \~Ωm$ is observed up to 100 K and increases exponentially with both a temperature up to $T_c$ and a magnetic field above one Tesla (a positive magnetoresistivity). We found that the ferromagnetic phase below $T_c$ is in a polaronic state with a polaronic mobile conduction, and the carrier density dips near $T_c$. For resistances measured by the four-probe method with line electrodes, low temperature information of the HTCMR is not revealed. The van der Pauw method is more effective for the resistance measurement of a magnetic material than the four-probe method.

cond-mat.str-el↗