Microscopic Theory of Resistive Switching in Ordered Insulators: Electronic vs. Thermal Mechanism

We investigate the dramatic switch of resistance in ordered correlated insulators, when driven out of equilibrium by a strong voltage bias. Microscopic calculations on a driven-dissipative lattice of interacting electrons explain the main experimental features of resistive switching (RS), such as the hysteretic $I$-$V$ curves and the formation of hot conductive filaments. The energy-resolved electron distribution at the RS reveals the underlying nonequilibrium electronic mechanism, namely Landau-Zener tunneling, and also justifies a thermal description where the hot-electron temperature, estimated from the first moment of the distribution, matches the equilibrium phase transition temperature. We discuss the tangled relationship between filament growth and negative differential resistance, and the influence of crystallographic structure and disorder in the RS.