Negative Differential Resistance and Long-Lived Changes in the Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Composites Induced by Electrothermal Effects

Abstract

In this study, the negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomenon in two-terminal devices composed of pyrogallol-formaldehyde/ZrO2 composite materials is investigated. It is demonstrated that the NDR is caused by electrothermal effects, which can be observed through the dependence of the NDR on both voltage and temperature. Additionally, it is showed that the NDR peak current and peak/valley voltages can be effectively modulated using electrical pulses that produce mild Joule heating. This modulation arises from the formation of a conductive metastable state, which decays to equilibrium according to power law kinetics. It is suggested that this metastable state is generated through a reversible structural rearrangement induced by heat. The ability to electronically tune the NDR characteristics of carbon composites may have potential applications in electronically controlled oscillators and neuromorphic circuits.