Correlation-induced emergent charge order in metallic vanadium dioxide

Recent progress in the growth and characterization of thin-film VO2 has shown its electronic properties can be significantly modulated by epitaxial matching. To throw new light on the concept of Mott engineering, we develop a symmetry-consistent approach to treat structural distortions and electronic correlations in epitaxial VO2 films under strain, and compare our design with direct experimental probes. We find strong evidence for the emergence of correlation-driven charge order deep in the metallic phase, and our results indicate that exotic phases of VO2 can be controlled with epitaxial stabilization.

Automated summary

Recent progress in studying thin-film VO2 has shown the possibility of modulating its electronic properties with epitaxial matching. In this study, a symmetry-consistent approach is developed to investigate the structural distortions and electronic correlations in epitaxial VO2 films under strain, and the findings are compared with experimental probes. The results provide strong evidence for the emergence of correlation-driven charge order in the metallic phase, suggesting that exotic phases of VO2 can be controlled with epitaxial stabilization.