Mottlike

Mottlike is an adjective used in condensed matter physics and materials science to describe phenomena that resemble the behavior of a Mott insulator. It is a descriptive label rather than a formal phase name, applied to systems where strong electron-electron interactions produce localization and insulating behavior in materials that would be expected to conduct based on band theory alone.

The term captures the idea that correlation effects, rather than band structure alone, dominate the electronic properties. In practice, Mottlike behavior arises when the on-site Coulomb repulsion (U) is large compared with the electronic bandwidth (W), leading to a suppression of charge mobility and, in many cases, a metal-insulator transition reminiscent of the classic Mott transition. The Hubbard model and its extensions, as well as dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), are commonly used theoretical frameworks to study Mottlike phenomena.

Mottlike can be used to describe a range of materials and contexts, including transition metal oxides, layered nickelates, iridates, and certain organic conductors under pressure. It is also employed in discussions of materials near a Mott transition, where experimental signatures such as activated or nonmetallic resistivity, gap formation in spectroscopic measurements, and spectral weight redistribution indicate correlation-driven localization.

In summary, Mottlike signals a close kinship to Mott physics: strong electron correlations driving localization in systems that may not be strict Mott insulators by simple band counting. See also Mott insulator, Mott transition, and electron correlation.