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Phase transition in a single VO2 nano-crystal: potential femtosecond tunable opto-electronic nano-gating

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Abstract

The first-order semiconductor–metal Mott transition in single nano-crystal of VO2 has been observed using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The variation of the band gap E g with an external thermal stimulus on a single VO2 nano-crystal in the temperature range of 293.5–361.0 K is reported for the first time. The corresponding tuneable I–V characteristics versus temperature could be applied in thermally or optically tunable electronic nano-gating in the femtosecond regime in view of the ultrafast dynamic in VO2.

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Acknowledgments

This research program was generously supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF), the French Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, iThemba LABS, the UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnology, the Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSDW) and the Abdus Salam ICTP via the Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET) as well as the African Laser Centre (ALC) to whom we are grateful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College for Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, P O Box 392, Pretoria, South Africa

    M. Maaza, A. Simo, B. M. Itani, J. B. Kana Kana, S. El Harthi, K. Bouziane, M. L. Saboungi, T. B. Doyle & I. Luk’yanchuk

  2. Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation of South Africa, 1 Old Faure Road, Somerset West, Western Cape, 7129, South Africa

    M. Maaza, A. Simo, B. M. Itani, S. El Harthi, K. Bouziane, M. L. Saboungi, T. B. Doyle & I. Luk’yanchuk

  3. Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    J. B. Kana Kana

  4. Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat Masqat, Oman

    S. El Harthi

  5. Centre de Recherche sur la Matiere Ultradivisee, CNRS, Orléans, France

    M. L. Saboungi

  6. School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4001, South Africa

    T. B. Doyle

  7. LPMC, Universite de Picardie Jules Verne, 33, rue St Leu, 80039, Amiens, France

    I. Luk’yanchuk

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  1. M. Maaza
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  2. A. Simo
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  9. I. Luk’yanchuk
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Correspondence to M. Maaza.

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Maaza, M., Simo, A., Itani, B.M. et al. Phase transition in a single VO2 nano-crystal: potential femtosecond tunable opto-electronic nano-gating. J Nanopart Res 16, 2397 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2397-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2397-z

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