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Title: Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]

Abstract

Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag4In3Sb67Te26. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales—faster than crystals can nucleate. As a result, this supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [6];  [6];  [6];  [6];  [6];  [2]
  1. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); European XFEL, Schenefeld (Germany)
  2. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
  3. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  4. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  5. Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
  6. RWTH Aachen Univ., Aachen (Germany)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1341736
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1283426
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, and Lindenberg, Aaron M. Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601.
Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, & Lindenberg, Aaron M. Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601
Zalden, Peter, Shu, Michael J., Chen, Frank, Wu, Xiaoxi, Zhu, Yi, Wen, Haidan, Johnston, Scott, Shen, Zhi -Xun, Landreman, Patrick, Brongersma, Mark, Fong, Scott W., Wong, H. -S. Philip, Sher, Meng -Ju, Jost, Peter, Kaes, Matthias, Salinga, Martin, von Hoegen, Alexander, Wuttig, Matthias, and Lindenberg, Aaron M. Fri . "Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1341736.
@article{osti_1341736,
title = {Picosecond electric-field-induced threshold switching in phase-change materials [THz-induced threshold switching and crystallization of phase-change materials]},
author = {Zalden, Peter and Shu, Michael J. and Chen, Frank and Wu, Xiaoxi and Zhu, Yi and Wen, Haidan and Johnston, Scott and Shen, Zhi -Xun and Landreman, Patrick and Brongersma, Mark and Fong, Scott W. and Wong, H. -S. Philip and Sher, Meng -Ju and Jost, Peter and Kaes, Matthias and Salinga, Martin and von Hoegen, Alexander and Wuttig, Matthias and Lindenberg, Aaron M.},
abstractNote = {Many chalcogenide glasses undergo a breakdown in electronic resistance above a critical field strength. Known as threshold switching, this mechanism enables field-induced crystallization in emerging phase-change memory. Purely electronic as well as crystal nucleation assisted models have been employed to explain the electronic breakdown. Here, picosecond electric pulses are used to excite amorphous Ag4In3Sb67Te26. Field-dependent reversible changes in conductivity and pulse-driven crystallization are observed. The present results show that threshold switching can take place within the electric pulse on subpicosecond time scales—faster than crystals can nucleate. As a result, this supports purely electronic models of threshold switching and reveals potential applications as an ultrafast electronic switch.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.067601},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 6,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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