Temperature-induced structural and electronic phase transitions in λ -phase Ti3O5

Metastable {λ}-Ti₃O₅, which undergoes phase transition to other polymorphs by external stimuli such as light, pressure, and temperature, is a candidate material for optolectronic and heat-storage devices. Here, the authors investigate the changes in the electrical and structural properties of {λ}-Ti₃O₅ with a single-crystalline thin film form across the temperature-induced phase transition. Resistivity and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements unveils a complex phase diagram divided into three temperature regions, which is composed of metal-insulator transition and second-order structural phase transition.