Gas Sensor Based on Metal−Insulator Transition in VO₂ Nanowire Thermistor

Using temperature driven sharp metal−insulator phase transition in single crystal VO₂ nanowires, the realization of a novel gas sensing concept has been tested. Varying the temperature of the nanowire close to the transition edge, the conductance of the nanowire becomes extremely responsive to the tiny changes in molecular composition, pressure, and temperature of the ambient gas environment. This gas sensing analog of the transition edge sensor radiometry used in astrophysics opens new opportunities in gas sensorics.