Current-Induced Metallization and Valence Transition in Black SmS

A strongly correlated insulator, samarium mono-sulfide (SmS), presents not only the pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) with the color change from black to golden-yellow but also current-induced IMT (CIMT) with negative resistance. To clarify the origin of the CIMT of SmS, the electronic structure change has been investigated by optical reflectivity and angle-integrated photoelectron spectra by applying an electric current. At lower temperatures than about 100 K, where the nonlinear V–I curve has been observed, the carrier density rapidly increases, accompanied by decreasing relaxation time of carriers with increasing current. Then, the direct gap size increases, and the mean valence changes from Sm2+-dominant SmS to the mixed-valent one with increasing current. These results suggest that the CIMT originates from increasing the Sm 4f-5d hybridization intensity induced by the applied current.