Canalized light creates directional and switchable surface structures in vanadium dioxide.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40295490.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-58929-6 and PMC identifier 12037821.
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Abstract
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 mostly single-crystalline and preserve the material's sharp metal-to-insulator transition, enabling femtosecond switching by temperature or light.