Towards photoinduced insulator-to-metal phase transition in paramagnetic Mott insulators

Global digital technology consumes ~10% of the world’s electricity. Energy efficiency could improve by moving from Von Neumann architectures to neural-network-based computing. Mottronics exploits the insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in Mott materials for devices like memories, synapses, and neurons. Electric pulses induce the Electric Mott Transition (EMT) via hot carriers, causing non-volatile, reversible structural changes. Ultrafast fs/ps photoexcitation of paramagnetic Mott insulators fails to trigger IMT, likely due to low per-pulse energy. We propose using nanosecond laser pulses with time-resolved XRD on (V,Cr)₂O₃ films to access a high-fluence regime, potentially revealing the first photo-induced IMT and compressive lattice response, advancing EMT understanding and Mottronic applications.