| Abstract |
Ferroelectrics with a perovskite structure, exhibiting strong coupling between photons, carriers, and phonons, have been demonstrated to show a strong photostrictive response. Limited by the optical bandgap, most of the reported ferroelectric perovskites respond only to UV light or weakly respond to visible light below 550 nm. Herein, the photostrictive performance of CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics, with a low bandgap of ∼1.5 eV (ideal for solar spectrum absorption), is comprehensively investigated. Although the compound presents no ferroelectricity, in general, a giant photostriction of ∼10−3 with a large photostrictive efficiency of ∼10−11 m3/W in CCTO ceramics is observed by applying purple (405 nm), green (520 nm), and red (655 nm) laser illumination. Evidenced by the XRD peak shifts under external laser illumination and the phonon mode shifts via the power-dependent Raman spectrum, the light-induced non-thermal deformation in CCTO is attributed to the enhanced stretching of O–Ti–O chains and the distortions of TiO6 octahedrons. The excellent and uniform photostrictive performance of CCTO ceramics in the visible-light region makes them potential candidates for practical applications in next-generation photo-driven electromechanical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Applied Physics Letters is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
