Robust Metal-Insulator Transition Despite Surface Dead-Layer Growth in Sub-10-nm Cr-Doped V2O3 Nanocrystals

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ishiwata, Yoichi, Harada, Ichidai, Imamura, Masaki, Takahashi, Kazutoshi, Ishii, Hirofumi, Yoshimura, Masato, Hiraoka, Nozomu, Inagaki, Yuji, Akashi, Kenta, Kawae, Tatsuya, Kida, Tetsuya, Nantoh, Masashi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Ishiwata, Yoichi
Harada, Ichidai
Imamura, Masaki
Takahashi, Kazutoshi
Ishii, Hirofumi
Yoshimura, Masato
Hiraoka, Nozomu
Inagaki, Yuji
Akashi, Kenta
Kawae, Tatsuya
Kida, Tetsuya
Nantoh, Masashi
author_facet Ishiwata, Yoichi
Harada, Ichidai
Imamura, Masaki
Takahashi, Kazutoshi
Ishii, Hirofumi
Yoshimura, Masato
Hiraoka, Nozomu
Inagaki, Yuji
Akashi, Kenta
Kawae, Tatsuya
Kida, Tetsuya
Nantoh, Masashi
contents We investigated the size dependence of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in Cr-doped V2O3 nanocrystals by photoemission spectroscopy using complementary probing depths, together with magnetic susceptibility measurements. Photoemission spectra show that MIT signatures persist down to an average particle size of 5.6 nm, and magnetic susceptibility measurements exhibit a nearly size-invariant transition onset. The contrast between surface-sensitive and deeper-probing photoemission spectra reveals that the transition survives in the nanocrystal interior. At the same time, the spectra indicate a systematic suppression of coherent quasiparticle weight with decreasing size, pointing to the growth of an insulating surface dead layer. These results demonstrate that nanoscaling does not intrinsically eliminate the MIT itself, but progressively enhances the influence of surface-driven insulating behavior, thereby providing insight into the practical limits of miniaturizing Mott-based devices.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_25488
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Robust Metal-Insulator Transition Despite Surface Dead-Layer Growth in Sub-10-nm Cr-Doped V2O3 Nanocrystals
Ishiwata, Yoichi
Harada, Ichidai
Imamura, Masaki
Takahashi, Kazutoshi
Ishii, Hirofumi
Yoshimura, Masato
Hiraoka, Nozomu
Inagaki, Yuji
Akashi, Kenta
Kawae, Tatsuya
Kida, Tetsuya
Nantoh, Masashi
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
We investigated the size dependence of the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in Cr-doped V2O3 nanocrystals by photoemission spectroscopy using complementary probing depths, together with magnetic susceptibility measurements. Photoemission spectra show that MIT signatures persist down to an average particle size of 5.6 nm, and magnetic susceptibility measurements exhibit a nearly size-invariant transition onset. The contrast between surface-sensitive and deeper-probing photoemission spectra reveals that the transition survives in the nanocrystal interior. At the same time, the spectra indicate a systematic suppression of coherent quasiparticle weight with decreasing size, pointing to the growth of an insulating surface dead layer. These results demonstrate that nanoscaling does not intrinsically eliminate the MIT itself, but progressively enhances the influence of surface-driven insulating behavior, thereby providing insight into the practical limits of miniaturizing Mott-based devices.
title Robust Metal-Insulator Transition Despite Surface Dead-Layer Growth in Sub-10-nm Cr-Doped V2O3 Nanocrystals
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.25488