Structural transition and temperature-driven conductivity switching of single crystalline VO2(A) nanowires

Abstract

Single crystalline VO₂(A) nanowires were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The structural transition and temperature-driven conductivity switching of the VO₂(A) nanowires were investigated. Our experimental results show that VO₂(A) nanowires exhibit a distinct structural transition accompanied with an order of magnitude change in resistance, and a clear temperature-dependent current switching hysteresis. In order to analyze experimental results, theoretically, the electrical conductivity behavior was found to be consistent with Mott's small polaron model, the first-principles calculations also indicated that the apical V–O bond changes were mainly responsible for the band gap evolution and hence led to the conductivity switching.