In the era of the Internet of Things, flexible oxide
electronics
have been intensely investigated due to their unique advantages in
portability, pliability, and stability. Among various oxide material
systems, correlated electron materials (CEMs) have attracted significant
attention, because they can display a broad range of intriguing phenomena
such as colossal magnetoresistance, high-temperature superconductivity,
and a metal–insulator transition (MIT). Tuning the electronic
properties of CEMs featuring MIT behavior through the use of external
stimuli is a prerequisite for developing CEM-based devices. Here we
report a strong mechanical bending strain-actuated modulation of the
MIT temperature (T
MIT
) in flexible V2O3/mica heterostructures. The
epitaxial V2O3 thin films on flexible mica substrates
were prepared by a pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) technique. Depending
on the growth conditions, various lattice parameter ratios (c/a) and distinct different electronic
transport properties were found in a series of V2O3/mica films. For the V2O3 films with c/a = 2.84 and 2.82, MIT behaviors were
observed at T
MIT
≈
155 K and ≈ 172 K, respectively. Mechanical bending strain
imposed from buckling the mica substrates was shown to remarkably
modulate the T
MIT
(ΔT
MIT
≈ 30 K) in these
flexible V2O3 films. Additionally, we note that
the bending response of T
MIT
in the V2O3 films relies on the applied
bending strain direction. Bending cyclic tests manifest a good repetition
of the experimental results and superior mechanical durability in
flexible V2O3 films. The present work is highly
instructive for flexible electronic device applications and provides
an alternative platform for studying MIT behaviors of the CEMs in
general.