GaTa4Se8 is a Mott insulator known to exhibit an electric Mott transition, characterized by a drop in electrical resistivity, when an electric field larger than 1-10 kV/cm is applied for a few tens of microseconds using electrodes deposited on the sample. Here, we show that a resistivity drop can be induced in this material within less than a picosecond. These dynamics occur after excitation by a high field THz pump pulse and persist for a few picoseconds, well beyond the duration of the pump pulse.

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Mott insulators display puzzling insulator to metal transitions under electric field. We study here the Mott insulator GaV4S8 using time-resolved Photoemission Electron Microcopy and reveal unusually long carrier lifetimes, supporting the mechanism of electronic avalanche.