2024/08/26 by Kazenwadel, Daniel, Neathery, Noel, Baum, Peter · 1 citation
#FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2408.14364
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.