Phase transitions in nanoscale vanadium pentoxide

Ternary vanadium oxide bronzes (M_xV₂O₅) obtained from intercalation of metal ions (M = Pb, Hg, Cu, Ag) exhibit a variety of structural and electronic properties such as charge ordering and metal-insulator phase transitions. The addition of these cations within the vanadium oxide network can induce strongly correlated behavior that can be probed and controlled by external parameters such as temperature, electric, and magnetic fields. Transport measurements in conjunction with resistance noise spectroscopy are performed on nanowires of vanadium pentoxide crystals. An abrupt, repeatable change from a low to a high conducting state is observed in our electrical measurements pointing to a subtle interplay among various degrees of freedom. Understanding the mechanisms behind the transitions yield insights into the role of electron correlations in these systems and how to modulate them for applications.