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Enhanced Photosusceptibility near Tc for the Light-Induced Insulator-to-Metal Phase Transition in Vanadium Dioxide
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.226401
PMID:
18233305
Authors:
D. J.
Hilton
(Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico)
,
R. P.
Prasankumar
(Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico)
,
S.
Fourmaux
(Université du Québec, Canada)
,
A.
Cavalleri
(University of Oxford)
,
D.
Brassard
(Université du Québec, Canada)
,
M. A.
El Khakani
(Université du Québec, Canada)
,
J. C.
Kieffer
(Université du Québec, Canada)
,
A. J.
Taylor
(Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico)
,
R. D.
Averitt
(Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico)
Co-authored by industrial partner:
No
Type:
Journal Paper
Journal:
Physical Review Letters
, VOL 99 (22)
State:
Published (Approved)
Published:
November 2007
Abstract: We use optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy to investigate the near-threshold behavior of the photoinduced insulator-to-metal (IM) transition in vanadium dioxide thin films. Upon approaching Tc a reduction in the fluence required to drive the IM transition is observed, consistent with a softening of the insulating state due to an increasing metallic volume fraction (below the percolation limit). This phase coexistence facilitates the growth of a homogeneous metallic conducting phase following superheating via photoexcitation. A simple dynamic model using Bruggeman effective medium theory describes the observed initial condition sensitivity.
Subject Areas:
Physics
Technical Areas: