Selective Laser Doping and Dedoping for Phase Engineering in Vanadium Dioxide Film.

Abstract

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂), renowned for its reversible metal-to-insulator transition (MIT), has been widely used in configurable photonic and electronic devices. Precisely tailoring the MIT of VO₂ on micro-/nano-scale is crucial for miniaturized and integrated devices. However, existing tailoring techniques like scanning probe microscopy, despite their precision, fall short in efficiency and adaptability, particularly on complex or curved surfaces. Herein, this work achieves the local engineering of the phase of VO₂ films in high efficiency by employing laser writing to assist in the hydrogen doping or dedoping process. The laser doping and laser dedoping technique is also highly flexible, enabling the fabrication of reconfigurable, non-volatile, and multifunctional VO₂ devices. This approach establishes a new paradigm for creating reconfigurable micro/nanophotonic and micro/nanoelectronic devices.