VO$_2$ and V$_2$O$_3$: different pathways for the same phase transition?*

Decades of investigation have led to a better understanding of the properties of vanadates but a great deal remains to be explored in these scientifically fascinating and technologically relevant systems. VO$_2$ and V$_2$O$_3$ are canonical examples of these transition metal oxides, strongly influenced by both electronic correlations and structural effects. In both materials the MIT is known to occur following a variation in temperature, the application of a dc field, optical pumping and more recently the application of transient THz pulses. The question that naturally arises is whether and how the dynamics of the MIT depend on the nature of the stimulus that induced it. We will present time-resolved optical and THz investigations, including high THz field results, of thin films of V$_2$O$_3$ and VO$_2$.