Canalized Light Creates Directional and Switchable Surface Structures in Vanadium Dioxide

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the creation of re-writable, laser-induced nanostructures on vanadium dioxide that are anisotropic and can be switched rapidly, enabling advanced optical and electronic functionalities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for creating self-organized, re-writable surface structures in vanadium dioxide using laser irradiation, revealing anisotropic features caused by canalized surface plasmon polaritons.

Findings

Nanostructures are re-writable and preserve the material's properties.

Anisotropic features are caused by canalized surface plasmon polaritons.

Femtosecond switching is achieved via temperature or light.

Abstract

Materials with switchable nanostructured surfaces enable optical and electronic functionalities beyond those of natural materials. Here we report the creation of self-organized, re-writable, laser-induced surface structures in single-crystalline vanadium dioxide. We discover anisotropic features caused by canalized surface plasmon polaritons that can only propagate along one crystal axis. The nanostructures remain single-crystalline and preserve the raw material's metal-to-insulator transition, enabling femtosecond switching by temperature or light.