metalinsulator

Metal-insulator behavior describes materials that can exist in either a metallic or an insulating electronic state, with transitions between the two driven by external parameters such as temperature, pressure, chemical composition, or electric fields. In the metallic state, electrons are itinerant and electrical conductivity is high; in the insulating state, charge carriers are localized and transport is suppressed. The most studied examples are metal–insulator transitions in correlated electron systems and disordered materials.

Two broad mechanisms are often discussed. Band insulators have a full valence band and an energy gap to the conduction band, leading to negligible conductivity at low temperature. Mott insulators have partially filled bands but strong electron–electron repulsion that localizes electrons and halts conduction. Disorder can also cause Anderson localization, wherein interference of scattered electron waves prevents diffusion. Structural instabilities such as Peierls distortions or charge-density waves can also open a gap and induce an insulating state.

Prominent examples include VO2, which shows a sharp, thermally driven MIT around 340 K accompanied by a structural change, and V2O3, where MITs can be tuned by temperature, pressure, or doping. Other nickelates and chalcogenides exhibit related transitions in response to external stimuli. These systems provide test beds for the theories of electron correlation, disorder, and dimensionality in solids.

Theoretical frameworks span the Hubbard model for correlation-driven MITs, band theory for conventional insulators, and the scaling theory of localization for disorder-induced transitions. Experimental probes include transport measurements, optical spectroscopy, and scanning probe techniques. Understanding metal–insulator transitions informs fields from condensed matter physics to materials engineering and device design.