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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Current-induced successive structural phase transitions beyond thermal equilibrium in single-crystal VO2

Shunsuke Kitou1,*, Akitoshi Nakano2,†, Masato Imaizumi2, Yuiga Nakamura3, Yuto Nakamura4, Hideo Kishida4, Taka-hisa Arima1,5, and Ichiro Terasaki2

  • *Contact author: kitou@edu.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp
  • †Contact author: nakano.akitoshi@nagoya-u.jp
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, L022050 – Published 15 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dzzt-w2lw

Abstract

In solids, nonequilibrium systems driven by external energy sources, such as electric current, host unexplored physics; however, phase transitions beyond thermal equilibrium remain elusive. Here, we show that electric current induces structural phase transitions in single-crystal VO2. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction at room temperature reveals that a current density of 6.5A/cm2 disrupts V-V dimers, producing a monoclinic-to-tetragonal insulator-to-metal transition independent of Joule heating. Further increasing the current to 10A/cm2 triggers a discontinuous isotropic lattice expansion, stabilizing a tetragonal structure absent in thermal equilibrium. Optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy further reveal dynamic domain motion and metastable phases. These results demonstrate direct access to hidden phases and symmetry changes beyond thermal equilibrium.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, L022050– Published 15 June, 2026
  • Received 7 July 2025
  • Accepted 22 May 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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