Spatially-resolved insulator-metal transition for rewritable optical gratings

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a simple, reversible, and spatially controllable insulator-metal transition in tungsten trioxide films using hydrogen doping, enabling rewritable optical gratings with potential applications in oxide electronics.

Contribution

It introduces a facile hydrogen doping method for spatially-resolved, reversible MIT in WO3, facilitating rewritable optical gratings without high-temperature processes.

Findings

Achieved visual, reversible MIT in WO3 films.

Enabled spatially selective doping comparable to UV lithography.

Controlled the period of WO3 gratings through doping area selection.

Abstract

Doping is an effective way to tune the property of metal oxides1-5, for achieving functional oxide electronics6-8. Previously we developed a controllable hydrogen doping technology at ambient conditions by use of electron-proton synergistic doping strategy, which enables one to get rid of high-temperature/pressure treatments required by traditional technologies9. Here, based on this facile doping route, we achieve a visual and reversible insulator-metal transition (MIT) for tungsten trioxide (WO3) film. Its outstanding spatial selection is comparable to standard UV lithography, which shows the potential of becoming a viable way for rewritable WO3 grating device fabrication. Furthermore, the period of the obtained WO3 structural grating can also be easily changed for requirement by doping area selection. This advanced doping technology opens up alternative approaches for developing not only optical devices, but also rewritable ions devices and integrated circuits for various oxide electronics.