Inhomogeneous Photosusceptibility of VO2 Films at the Nanoscale

Pump-probe nano-optical experiments were used to study the light-induced insulator to metal transition (IMT) in thin films of vanadium dioxide (${\mathrm{VO}}_{2}$), a prototypical correlated electron system. We show that inhomogeneous optical contrast is prompted by spatially uniform photoexcitation, indicating an inhomogeneous photosusceptibility of ${\mathrm{VO}}_{2}$. We locally characterize temperature and time dependent variations of the photoexcitation threshold necessary to induce the IMT on picosecond timescales with hundred nanometer spatial resolution. We separately measure the critical temperature ${T}_{L}$, where the IMT onsets and the local transient electronic nano-optical contrast at the nanoscale. Our data reveal variations in the photosusceptibility of ${\mathrm{VO}}_{2}$ within nanoscopic regions characterized by the same critical temperature ${T}_{L}$ where metallic domains can first nucleate.