Percolative instabilities and sparse-limit fractality in 1 T − TaS 2

The low-temperature metallic phase of 1T-TaS2 may originate from the current- and voltage-driven destabilization of the commensurate charge density wave in a strongly correlated Mott-insulator, alongside the robust yet rarely realized influence of intrinsic electronic distortions. Electrical pulse-driven transport, combined with the second harmonic response, reveals abrupt switching, negative differential resistance, and multiscale domain-wall reorganization. The free-energy analysis identifies a critical order parameter threshold for the Mott-metal transition, with scaling exponents ( β≈1.3 ) consistent with two-dimensional percolation. The sparse limit fractal dimension Df≈0.3 at 10 K, rising to ≈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 nonequilibrium phase transitions in low-dimensional quantum materials.