Tunable insulator-metal transition in epitaxial VO thin films strain and defect engineering.

The Metal to Insulator Transition (MIT) in materials, particularly vanadium dioxide (VO), has garnered significant research interest due to its potential applications in smart windows, memristors, transistors, sensors, and optical switches. The transition from an insulating, monoclinic phase to a conducting, tetragonal phase involves changes in optical and electrical properties, opening avenues in adaptive radiative coolers, optical memories, photodetectors, and optical switches. VO exhibits MIT close to 68 °C, thereby requiring tuneable transition temperatures ( ) in VO thin films for practical device applications.