MSc final seminar - Metal–Insulator Transition Dynamics in Boron-Doped VO₂ Thin Films: Fabrication Challenges and Relaxation Dynamics

Adaptive and history-dependent responses are typically implemented in solid-state systems through complex circuitry rather than intrinsic material properties. In this seminar, I explore the possibility of realizing adaptive behaviour within a single correlated material platform. VO₂, a prototypical Mott system undergoing a first-order metal–insulator transition, offers a unique opportunity due to its strong electron correlations and coupled structural transition. In boron-doped VO₂ powders, it has been found that the transition temperature may dramatically increase as a function of the time spent in the insulating phase. This unique phenomenon has been linked to the transition of boron from metastable to stable states. However, harnessing such adaptive physics in functional devices requires electrically addressable thin films. Translating this behaviour from powders to thin films presents significant fabrication challenges. I will discuss the development of a viable B-doped VO₂ thin-film platform and demonstrate the emergence of dynamics and memory effects under both thermal and electrical driving, highlighting the interplay between correlated physics, dopant kinetics, and device functionality.