Optical properties of VO2 films at the phase transition: Influence of substrate and electronic correlations

Thin films of VO2 on different substrates, Al2O3 and SiO2/Si, have been prepared and characterized from room temperature up to 360 K. From the band structure in the rutile metallic phase and in the monoclinic insulating phase, the optical properties are calculated and compared with reflection measurements performed as a function of temperatures. Various interband transitions can be assigned and compared with previous speculations. We extract the parameters of the metallic charge carriers that evolve upon crossing the insulator-to-metal phase transition and find effects by the substrate. The influence of electronic correlations becomes obvious at the phase transition.