The low-temperature metallic phase of 1T-TaS2 may originate from current- and voltage-driven destabilization of the commensurate charge density wave (CDW) in a strongly correlated Mott insulator, alongside the robust yet rarely realized influence of intrinsic electronic distortions. Electrical pulse-driven transport, combined with second harmonic response, reveals abrupt switching, negative differential resistance (NDR), and multiscale domain-wall reorganization. The free energy analysis identifies a critical order parameter threshold for the Mott-metal transition, with scaling exponents ({\beta} approx 1.3) consistent with 2D percolation. The sparse limit fractal dimension D_{f} approx 0.3 at 10 K, rising to approx 0.9 at 300 K, reflects the hierarchical evolution of the conductive pathways throughout the temperature. These findings establish a direct connection between fractal percolation, pulse-induced instabilities, and correlated electron transport, offering a framework for controlled access to non-equilibrium phase transitions in low-dimensional quantum materials.
@article{arxiv.2602.23930,
title = {Percolative Instabilities and Sparse-Limit Fractality in 1T-TaS$_2$},
author = {Poulomi Maji and Md Aquib Molla and Koushik Dey and Bikash Das and Sambit Choudhury and Tanima Kundu and Pabitra Kumar Hazra and Mainak Palit and Sujan Maity and Bipul Karmakar and Kai Rossnagel and Sanjoy Kr Mahatha and Bhaskaran Muralidharan and Shamashis Sengupta and Sanchari Goswami and Subhadeep Datta},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.23930},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Accepted in Physical Review B on 3rd February 2026