Enregistré dans:
| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2026
|
| Sujets: | |
| Accès en ligne: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.05018 |
| Tags: |
Ajouter un tag
Pas de tags, Soyez le premier à ajouter un tag!
|
Table des matières:
- Oxides exhibiting insulator-metal transitions are promising candidates for next generation ultrafast electronic switching devices. However, critical gaps remain in understanding the onset of strain and its dynamics as these materials undergo structural transitions, particularly in nanostructured configurations. Here, we present ultrafast four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy enabling virtual imaging and strain mapping at every point in space and time. Using this technique, we directly probe a laser-excited phase transition in the prototypical material vanadium dioxide (VO2), recording its spatiotemporal propagation. This direct imaging capability reveals the dynamics of the structural phase transition and connects it to the resulting strain formation on picosecond timescales. This correlation reveals how atomic-scale symmetry breaking inherently generates lattice distortions, which then propagate to govern macroscopic property changes. Our findings provide new insights into the coupling between electronic, structural, and mechanical responses in correlated oxides under non-equilibrium conditions.