Cavity-Mediated Thermal Modulation ‌of the Metal-to-Insulator Transition in 1T-TaS2

D. Fausti1

1University of Erlangen, Germany

This seminar will focus on the potential of cavity electrodynamics in shaping material properties, opened by on our recent investigation into cavity-mediated thermal control of the metal-to-insulator transition in 1T-TaS2, which demonstrated the feasibility of reversible cavity manipulation of a phase transition in a correlated solid-state material.

By immersing the charge density wave material 1T-TaS2 into cryogenic tunable terahertz cavities, we unveil a remarkable shift between conductive states. This transition, triggered by a substantial alteration in sample temperature, is controlled by mechanical adjustments of the distance between cavity mirrors and their alignment.

The discussion will extend to unpublished data on vibrational strong coupling within higher frequency cavities, emphasizing the position-dependent coupling strength that underscores the influence of the mode structure on the observed effects.

Our findings rationalized in a scenario reminiscent of the Purcell effects, wherein the spectral profile of the cavity significantly shapes the energy exchange between the quantum material and the external electromagnetic field unfolds promising opportunities for tailoring the thermodynamics and macroscopic transport properties of quantum materials through strategic engineering of their electromagnetic surroundings. The seminar will discuss some perspectives for cavity control of material functionalities in correlated complex quantum materials.