| Abstract Scope |
Vanadium dioxide (VO₂), a prototypical correlated oxide, exhibits a near-room-temperature metal–insulator transition (MIT) coupled with a structural phase transition, making it a promising platform for next-generation electronic and photonic devices. Using atomic-scale analyses of VO₂ thin films, we identified key parameters governing the MIT, including strain, composition, electronic coupling, and structural coupling. Recently, we demonstrated that isovalent Ti doping in supercooled epitaxial VO₂ induces an MIT with minimal hysteresis, without significant changes in unit-cell volume or crystal symmetry. Notably, local V–V dimers persist above the electronic transition temperature, suggesting geometrically compatible insulating and metallic phases. This compatibility can significantly improve switching speed and endurance under electrical and optical excitation. In this talk, I will summarize our recent advances in understanding and controlling the MIT in VO₂ thin films. |