An international team of researchers has taken first steps toward changing that. By exploiting optical control, they are able to manipulate the internal domain structures of ferroelectric thin films. In a new study, scientists from Purdue University have made an important development that would dramatically enhance the performance of wireless sensors and micro-devices. Read the full details at DOI 10.1021/acsnano.5c05203. The study demonstrates the extraordinary power and functionality of photostriction. This incredible phenomenon has intrigued scientists in many different materials since its discovery in the 1960s.
Dr. Haoze Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow at Flinders University and the study’s first author, emphasizes the potential of using low-energy light to achieve precise control over these materials. The study builds on well-known advances of photostriction in tailored semiconductors, oxides, ferroelectrics and polymers. The issue with this approach is it limits attention to a narrow set of applications.
Understanding Photostriction
Photostriction, as it’s called, is one of the mechanisms behind a type of smart material that either expands or contracts in response to light. Since its discovery, researchers have studied this phenomenon in numerous materials. Their efforts have allowed us to harness thrilling advances in how we may one day use these materials in new technology.
During the process, one of the most valuable materials being researched are semiconductors, which are known for their essential role in electronic devices. Oxides and ferroelectrics have similarly captured the world’s imagination with their fascinating properties that can be harnessed for modern devices. Moreover, polymers are a dynamic space to work in because of their versatility and potential for creative applications.
In this episode, Dr. Zhang delves into the fascinating world of photostriction. Here, he describes just how this strange phenomenon allows otherwise stable materials to reshape themselves in response to light. This capability presents exciting new opportunities to design next-generation smart materials that can act and react in real-time with their surroundings.
Light as a Controlling Force
This week an international research team, led by Dr. Rahul Sharma from the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University highlights this dual capability, stating that manipulating light can yield significant advancements in material performance. It can achieve atomic-scale control over the configuration of the electric field at the internal structure of ferroelectric thin films and the electronic response.
The research demonstrates that this rare control enhances responsiveness in digital products. This breakthrough lays the foundation for developing more efficient, less invasive sensors. Scientists are digitally sculpting ordered ferroelectric thin films using light. These designs continue their precedent for using devices to allow a more nimble adaptation to evolving conditions and sedate purpose-maximizing functionality.
Implications for Future Technologies
The real-world ramifications of this research go well beyond scholarly interest. The ability to use low-energy light for shaping ferroelectric thin films could revolutionize the production and efficiency of various technologies. These advances will have an enormous impact on the field of wireless sensors and micro-devices. This means we’ll see even smaller, more powerful devices that require less energy.
This fascinating area called photostriction is undergoing an exciting and fast-paced development. Researchers are understandably giddy about this newfound ability to translate their discoveries into viable applications. The recent archaeo-physics study featured on phys.org, released on 24 October 2015, illustrates a growing interest in using light to transform materials. Researchers are understandably excited to study this new and novel approach further.