Bidirectional laser triggering of planar device based on vanadium dioxide thin film

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Vanadium dioxide (VO2) exhibits a metal-insulator transition with potential for electronic and optical applications.
• Laser triggering offers precise control over material phase transitions and device switching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bidirectional laser triggering in a VO2 thin-film device.
• To determine the operational bias voltage range for this triggering mechanism.
• To analyze the performance and transient characteristics of the light-triggered device.

Main Methods:

• Growing VO2 thin films using the sol-gel method.
• Fabricating a two-terminal planar device.
• Measuring current-voltage characteristics in a current-controlled mode.
• Employing a 1550 nm laser diode for bidirectional triggering.

Main Results:

• A specific bias voltage range for bidirectional laser triggering was experimentally identified.
• 10 mA bidirectional triggering was achieved within this range.
• A maximum amplitude switching ratio of approximately 68.2 was obtained.
• Transient responses of light-triggered currents were analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Bidirectional laser triggering is feasible in VO2 thin-film devices.
• The sol-gel method is suitable for fabricating such devices.
• The identified voltage range and achieved switching ratio demonstrate potential for optoelectronic applications.