Large Tunability of Strain in WO₃ Single-Crystal Microresonators Controlled by Exposure to H₂ Gas

Abstract

Strain engineering is one of the most effective approaches to manipulate the physical state of materials, control their electronic properties, and enable crucial functionalities. Because of their rich phase diagrams arising from competing ground states, quantum materials are an ideal playground for on-demand material control and can be used to develop emergent technologies, such as adaptive electronics or neuromorphic computing. It was recently suggested that complex oxides could bring unprecedented functionalities to the field of nanomechanics, but the possibility of precisely controlling the stress state of materials is so far lacking. Here, we demonstrate the wide and reversible manipulation of the stress state of single-crystal WO₃ by strain engineering controlled by catalytic hydrogenation. Progressive incorporation of hydrogen in freestanding ultrathin structures determines large variations of their mechanical resonance frequencies, inducing static deformation. Our results demonstrate hydrogen doping as a new paradigm to reversibly manipulate the mechanical properties of nanodevices based on materials control.