Nanoscale <i>Operando</i> Imaging of Electrically Driven Charge-Density Wave Phase Transitions.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39316412.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03324 and PMC identifier 11468880.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Structural transformations in strongly correlated materials promise efficient and fast control of materials' properties via electrical or optical stimulation. The desired functionality of devices operating based on phase transitions, however, will also be influenced by nanoscale heterogeneity. Experimentally characterizing the relationship between microstructure and phase switching remains challenging, as nanometer resolution and high sensitivity to subtle structural modifications are required. Here, we demonstrate nanoimaging of a current-induced phase transformation in the charge-density wave (CDW) material 1<i>T</i>-TaS<sub>2</sub>. Combining electrical characterizations with tailored contrast enhancement, we correlate macroscopic resistance changes with the nanoscale nucleation and growth of CDW phase domains. In particular, we locally determine the transformation barrier in the presence of dislocations and strain, underlining their non-negligible impact on future functional devices. Thereby, our results demonstrate the merit of tailored contrast enhancement and beam shaping for advanced <i>operando</i> microscopy of quantum materials and devices.