Density-Driven Resistance Response in $MnS_{2}$: Theory

Abstract

A colossal insulator-to-metal transition in high-spin pyrite phase of $MnS_{2}$ has been experimentally observed \cite{colomns2}. There are two possibilities behind this colossal insulator-to-metal transition: (1) migration of $Mn$ electrons to unoccupied $S^{2-}_{2}$ antibonding states under pressure which leads to conducting ligand states and hence metallic transition, and (2) possibility of band crossing transition. We have analyzed this experimental obervation theoretically using a toy statistical model and found that the transition is due to the migration of electrons from the transition metal ions to the ligand sites (i.e. the possibility (1)). The calculated resistivity compares well with the experimental data within the fitting parameters of the model.