title: Stoichiometry engineering of monoclinic to rutile phase transition in suspended single crystalline vanadium dioxide nanobeams.
abstract: Coexisting monoclinic M(1) (insulating) and rutile (metallic) domains were observed in free-standing vanadium dioxide nanobeams at room temperature. Similar domain structures have been attributed to interfacial strain, which was not present here. Annealing under reducing conditions indicated that a deficiency of oxygen stabilizes the rutile phase to temperatures as low as 103 K, which represents an unprecedented suppression of the phase transition by 238 K. In a complementary manner, oxygen-rich growth conditions stabilize the metastable monoclinic M(2) and triclinic T (or M(3)) phases. A pseudophase diagram with dimensions of temperature and stoichiometry is established that highlights the accessibility of new phases in the nanobeam geometry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.
authors.forename: Shixiong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: In Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Lincoln J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lauhon
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D044367:Phase Transition; D013499:Surface Properties; D017968:Vanadium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D017968:Vanadium Compounds; C066075:vanadium pentoxide