近日，意大利的里雅斯特大学的Daniele Fausti及其研究小组取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们实现1T-TaS₂中金属到绝缘体转变的腔介导热控制。相关研究成果已于2023年10月18日在国际权威学术期刊《自然》上发表。

该研究团队报道了在相关固态材料中实现金属到绝缘体相变的可逆腔控制的实验证据。研究人员将电荷密度波材料1T-TaS₂嵌入到低温可调谐的太赫兹腔中，通过机械调节腔镜与样品之间的距离，实现了导电和绝缘行为之间的切换，并与样品温度的大幅变化相关联。研究人员观察到的大热改性表明了类似珀塞尔效应的情况，即腔的光谱剖面改变了材料与外部电磁场之间的能量交换。这一研究发现为通过设计量子材料的电磁环境来控制其热力学和宏观输运性质提供了新的机会。

据悉，将量子材料放入光学腔中，通过弱和强光-物质耦合，为控制物质的量子协同特性提供了一个独特的平台。

附：英文原文

Title: Cavity-mediated thermal control of metal-to-insulator transition in 1T-TaS₂

Author: Jarc, Giacomo, Mathengattil, Shahla Yasmin, Montanaro, Angela, Giusti, Francesca, Rigoni, Enrico Maria, Sergo, Rudi, Fassioli, Francesca, Winnerl, Stephan, Dal Zilio, Simone, Mihailovic, Dragan, Prelovek, Peter, Eckstein, Martin, Fausti, Daniele

Issue&Volume: 2023-10-18

Abstract: Placing quantum materials into optical cavities provides a unique platform for controlling quantum cooperative properties of matter, by both weak and strong light–matter coupling. Here we report experimental evidence of reversible cavity control of a metal-to-insulator phase transition in a correlated solid-state material. We embed the charge density wave material 1T-TaS₂ into cryogenic tunable terahertz cavities and show that a switch between conductive and insulating behaviours, associated with a large change in the sample temperature, is obtained by mechanically tuning the distance between the cavity mirrors and their alignment. The large thermal modification observed is indicative of a Purcell-like scenario in which the spectral profile of the cavity modifies the energy exchange between the material and the external electromagnetic field. Our findings provide opportunities for controlling the thermodynamics and macroscopic transport properties of quantum materials by engineering their electromagnetic environment.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06596-2

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06596-2