Tuning photostriction in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices: An ab initio study

Light-induced mechanical deformations in single-domain PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices were simulated using first-principle calculations. By varying thickness or the chemical fraction of PbTiO3, we discover that these heterostructures' photostrictive behavior can be tuned quantitatively and qualitatively. Additionally, we present simple analytical models to explain the calculated deformations and predict a critical PbTiO3 fraction with no photostriction. Our results present two pathways for tuning the photostrictive behavior of PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices, which could be utilized for innovative optomechanical applications. locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon locked icon Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)Light-matter interactionStrainFerroelectricsSuperlatticesFirst-principles calculations