Metal-insulator transitions (MITs), in which a material changes from a metallic state with low resistivity to an insulating state because of a change in an external parameter, such as temperature, pressure or an electric field, are a central topic in fundamental physics research.

In materials that undergo MITs, it has also been observed that in the insulating phase, but near the transition point, applying an electric field or current can sometimes trigger a sudden drop in resistance, known as resistive switching.

This volatile resistive switching holds promise for various applications, including resistive memory, optoelectronics and neuromorphic computing, which is key to artificial intelligence implementation.