Session J16: Vanadium Dioxide; Nano and Devices
11:15 AM–2:15 PM, Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Room: 251
Sponsoring Unit:
DCMP
Chair: Ivan Schuller, University of California, San Diego
Abstract ID: BAPS.2012.MAR.J16.4
Abstract: J16.00004 : Current-induced metastable states in single-crystalline VO$_2$ nanoplatelets
11:51 AM–12:03 PM
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Abstract 
Authors:
Alexander Tselev
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN)
J.D. Budai
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN)
E. Strelcov
(Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL)
J.Z. Tischler
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN)
A. Kolmakov
(Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL)
S.V. Kalinin
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN)
The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in VO$_2$ occurs close to ambient temperature, T$_c$ = 68 $^{\circ}$C, which can be reduced by doping. The phase transition results in a few orders of magnitude change of electrical conductivity and is accompanied by a change of the lattice from tetragonal to monoclinic, which is associated with lattice expansion of $\sim$1\% along the tetragonal c-axis of the metallic phase. We observed that, in suspended single-crystalline VO$_2$ nanoplatelets (NPls) carrying a sufficiently strong electrical current, Joule heating leads to formation of metal-semiconductor domains, which are self-organized in chains providing a path for the current flow. This results in NPl bending depending on the current strength, which can be used for electrically controlled actuator action. The observed domain structures should be interpreted as distinct metastable states in freestanding and end-clamped quasi-1D VO$_2$ samples. We analyze the stability conditions for the heterophase domains patterns and main prerequisites for the realization of current-controlled nanoactuators based on the proposed concept.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2012.MAR.J16.4