Photostrictive materials

TL;DR

This paper reviews photostrictive effects across various materials, discussing mechanisms, influencing factors, and potential applications in optoelectronics and smart devices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive survey of photostriction phenomena in multiple material classes and summarizes current understanding and technological prospects.

Findings

Photostriction observed in ferroelectrics, semiconductors, and organics.

Mechanisms depend on material properties and external perturbations.

Potential applications include actuators and optical sensors.

Abstract

Light-matter interactions that lead to nonthermal changes in size of the sample constitute a photostrictive effect in many compounds. The photostriction phenomenon was observed in four main groups of materials, ferroelectrics, polar, and non-polar semiconductors, as well as in organic-based materials that are reviewed here. The key mechanisms of photostriction and its dependence on several parameters and perturbations are assessed. The major literature of the photostriction is surveyed, and the review ends with a summary of the proposed technical applications.