Spinodal decomposition introduces strain-enhanced thermochromism in polycrystalline VTiO thin films.

Processes of self-organization play a key role in the development of innovative functional nanocomposites, allowing, in particular, the transformation of metastable solid solutions into multilayers by activating spinodal decomposition instead of layer-by-layer film growth. We report the formation of strained layered (V,Ti)O nanocomposites in thin polycrystalline films using a spinodal decomposition. Already during the growth of VTiO films, spinodal decomposition was detected while producing atomic-scale disordered V- and Ti-rich phases.