Ultra-Broadband Femtosecond Measurements of the Photo-Induced Phase Transition in VO2: From the Mid-IR to the Hard X-rays

We review our work on the photo-induced insulator–metal transition in the strongly-correlated, spin-Peierls compound VO 2 . Our pump-probe experiments exploit the full spectral range of modern femtosecond science, combining time-resolved mid-IR and visible techniques with ultrafast soft x-ray absorption and hard x-ray diffraction. We also report on the switching behavior of VO 2 nanoparticles embedded in Silica or in optical fibers, a new route to incorporate complex, photo-active materials into technologically viable environments.