AN ELECTROTHERMAL MODEL FOR HIGH-FIELD CONDUCTION AND SWITCHING PHENOMENA IN TEO2-V2O5 GLASSES

The electrical behaviour of 0.4TeO2-0.6V2O5 glass samples was studied by determining the current-voltage dependence with constant current. The results show increasing deviations from the Ohm's law with increasing current density, leading to a maximum voltage at large current densities. This electrical behaviour, described in literature as a switching phenomenon, is interpreted assuming that the Joule effect resulting from the current passing through, induces large increases of the glass conductivities.