Vanadium Dioxide: The Multistimuli Responsive Material and Its Applications

The reversible, ultrafast, and multistimuli responsive phase transition of vanadium dioxide (VO₂) makes it an intriguing “smart” material. Its crystallographic transition from the monoclinic to tetragonal phases can be triggered by diverse stimuli including optical, thermal, electrical, electrochemical, mechanical, or magnetic perturbations. Consequently, the development of high-performance smart devices based on VO₂ grows rapidly. This review systematically summarizes VO₂-based emerging technologies by classifying different stimuli (inputs) with their corresponding responses (outputs) including consideration of the mechanisms at play. The potential applications of such devices are vast and include switches, memories, photodetectors, actuators, smart windows, camouflages, passive radiators, resonators, sensors, field effect transistors, magnetic refrigeration, and oscillators. Finally, the challenges of integrating VO₂ into smart devices are discussed and future developments in this area are considered.