Resistive switching in β-SrV<Subscript>6</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript>

We investigate the pressure and temperature behavior of current-dependent resistivity of β-SrV<Subscript>6</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript>. We observe a switching between states of different resistivities in the insulating state of β-SrV<Subscript>6</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript>. In the low pressure phase, the resistive switching appears at temperatures below the semiconductor-insulator transition. In the high pressure phase, under ~1.6 GPa, the switching appears in the temperature range of the phase transition. The existence of switching may imply an important role of strontium off-stoichiometry for the electrical transport in β-SrV<Subscript>6</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript>. No electric-field-induced enhancement of the conductivity is observed. However, the conduction is significantly nonlinear under ~1.6 GPa, indicating that the charge order pattern in the high pressure phase is considerably different from that of the low pressure phase. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 2008