Electric Field-induced Strain Research Articles

Enhanced electric field-induced strain performance in 0–3 composite ceramics by strain and polarization coupling

Inferior electric field-induced strain and large hysteresis in the high-temperature (1-x)BiFeO3-xBaTiO3-based piezoceramics under low driving electric field, which restricts their practical applications, are dramatically technical bottlenecks. Herein, we successfully prepare the 0–3 type composite piezoceramics with super strain properties under a small electric field. Electric field-induced strain and normalized strain coefficient in the 0–3 composite piezoceramics have been severally increased by 161% and 215% than those of non-composite piezoceramics, and the hysteresis and remnant strain in the 0–3 composite piezoceramics have been decreased by 230% and 165% compared with non-composite piezoceramics. Superior electric field-induced strain properties originate from strain and polarization couple, promoting domain switching at low driving electric field, and the novel strategy will accelerate the development and practical applications of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.

Achieving giant field-induced strain in BS-modified BNKT lead-free ferroelectric ceramics

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-Bi0.5K0.5TiO3 (BNT-BKT) binary systems with the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) are promising candidates for piezoelectric actuators. However, pure BNT-BKT ceramics commonly exhibit unfavorable electric field-induced strain, which is insufficient to meet the requirements for actuator applications. Rare earth-containing dopants have been extensively explored to modify various materials due to their unique optical, magnetic, and electronic properties. Here, by introducing rare earth ion-containing dopants BiScO3 (BS), the electrical properties of Bi0.5(Na0.84K0.16)0.5TiO3 (BNKT) lead-free ferroelectric ceramics have been modified. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results suggest that the introduction of BS results in an increase in tetragonal (T) phases, reduced grain sizes, and uniform morphologies. Ferroelectric measurements demonstrate that the BS-containing ceramics show slimmer hysteresis loops. The BNKT-2BS ceramics show a noteworthy improvement in electric field-induced strain, with bipolar and monopolar strains of 0.58% and 0.68%, respectively, which are almost 4 times and 6 times higher than those of pure BNKT ceramics. Furthermore, the corresponding normalized strain (d33*) also achieves high values of 967 pm/V and 1133 pm/V, respectively. Temperature-dependent dielectric measurements reveal that BS-containing ceramics exhibit good relaxor characteristics with frequency dispersion and diffuse phase transitions. This study presents a sufficient and feasible strategy for the optimization of strain performance in large displacement actuator applications.

Ultrahigh Energy Storage in Tungsten Bronze Dielectric Ceramics Through a Weakly Coupled Relaxor Design.

Dielectric energy-storage capacitors, known for their ultrafast discharge time and high-power density, find widespread applications in high-power pulse devices. However, ceramics featuring a tetragonal tungsten bronze structure (TTBs) have received limited attention due to their lower energy-storage capacity compared to perovskite counterparts. Herein, a TTBs relaxor ferroelectric ceramic based on the Gd0.03 Ba0.47 Sr0.485-1.5 x Smx Nb2 O6 composition, exhibiting an ultrahigh recoverable energy density of 9 J cm-3 and an efficiency of 84% under an electric field of 660kV cm-1 is reported. Notably, the energy storage performance of this ceramic shows remarkable stability against frequency, temperature, and cycling electric field. The introduction of Sm3+ doping is found to create weakly coupled polar nanoregions in the Gd0.03 Ba0.47 Sr0.485 Nb2 O6 ceramic. Structural characterizations reveal that the incommensurability parameter increases with higher Sm3+ content, indicative of a highly disordered A-site structure. Simultaneously, the breakdown strength is also enhanced by raising the conduction activation energy, widening the bandgap, and reducing the electric field-induced strain. This work presents a significant improvement on the energy storage capabilities of TTBs-based capacitors, expanding the material choice for high-power pulse device applications.

Electric field-controlled deterministic magnetization reversal in nanomagnet Fe3Si/PMN-PT multiferroic heterostructures

Pure electric field-controlled 180° magnetization switching plays a vital role in low-power magnetoelectric memory devices. Using micromagnetic simulation, we engineered a square-shaped epitaxial Fe3Si nanomagnet on a PMN-PT piezoelectric substrate to make the magnetic easy axis slightly deviate 18° from the piezostrain axis, aiming to break the symmetry of the magnetization distribution and achieve deterministic magnetization reversal paths. Under the coaction of a magnetic field and an electric field, the simulated magnetic hysteresis loops and magnetic domain patterns reveal a fourfold to twofold magnetic anisotropy transition and magnetization reversal paths. Stimulated by pure electric field-induced piezoelectric strain, deterministic 180° magnetization reversals are accomplished by the two successive clockwise 90° switching process. The results help to comprehend electrically regulated deterministic magnetization reversal and pave an avenue for designing multistate spintronics devices.

Large electric field-induced strain and excellent photoluminescence properties of Pr-modified 0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 lead-free ferroelectric ceramics

The 0.94Bi0.5-xPrxNa0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-6BT-xPr) lead-free ceramics with doping content of x = 0, 0.01, 0.025, 0.04, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 were synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method. After doping with the Pr element, a composition-induced phase transition took place, which from the rhombohedral perovskite (R3c) and tetragonal perovskite (P4bm) phases coexisting into the pseudo-cubic phase. At the same time, the introduction of the Pr element had a beneficial effect on grain growth, and the average size of the crystal particle increased from 299 to 742 nm. The Curie temperature Tm showed no obvious change with the increasing Pr content, but the temperature TF-R of the ferroelectric-relaxor phase transition was gradually shifted toward lower temperatures. In addition, the depolarization temperature Td gradually decreased from 125 to 53 °C. In the BNT-6BT-0.025Pr ceramics, giant electric field-induced strain (Smax) and normalized piezoelectric coefficient (d33*) were obtained (Smax = 0.58%, d33* = 723 pm/V). Furthermore, a significant photoluminescence emission intensity was achieved, exhibiting a bright red color. Due to significant enhancement of the piezoelectric and the photoluminescence properties, the BNT-6BT-0.025Pr ceramics exhibited strong competitiveness in actuators and multifunctional devices, which may broaden their application fields.

Fine-grained high-performance Ba0.85Ca0.15 Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 piezoceramics obtained by current-controlled flash sintering of nanopowders

Due to environmental concerns, extensive research has been carried out to develop high-performance lead-free piezoceramics capable of replacing commercial lead-based materials. The lead-free (Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 −Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 system has emerged as a candidate for room temperature transducer applications because a high piezoelectric charge coefficient is achieved in this system for compositions at the morphotropic phase boundary. However, conventional ceramic processing of these eco-friendly piezoceramics demands high energy consumption because long-lasting, high-temperature heat treatments are needed, which often lead to microstructural degradation that compromises the material reliability. Field-assisted flash sintering has started to be explored since the application of an adequate electric field was shown to significantly reduce the sintering time and temperature, thereby controlling grain growth. In this work, Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 ceramics are obtained by current-controlled flash sintering of mechanosynthesized nanopowders. Exhaustive control of the sintering parameters allows tailoring of the microstructure, which allows dense fine-grained flash-sintered ceramics exhibiting a high electric field-induced strain response to be obtained.

High electric field-induced strain properties in La-doped Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 relaxor ferroelectric ceramics

Piezoelectric ceramics with high strain response and low hysteresis are highly in demand for high-performance actuator applications. Unfortunately, the trade-off relationship between large field-induced strain and low hysteresis in piezoelectric ceramics is a key challenge for designing high-performance piezoelectric actuators. Herein, ymol%La-doped 0.10 Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-xPbZrO3-(0.90–x)PbTiO3 [0.10PIN-xPZ-(0.90-x)PT: ymol%La] ternary relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction technique. Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 (PIN) as a relaxor end member was introduced into (Pb,La) (Zr,Ti)O3 (PLZT) system to improve relaxor characteristics and strain properties. A giant strain of 0.23% was obtained in 0.10PIN-0.59PZ-0.31 PT: 8mol%La ceramic at the electric field of 20 kV/cm, with a high piezoelectric d33* of 1150 pm/V and low hysteresis Hy of 6.4%, exhibiting a potential application in high-performance piezoelectric actuators. Furthermore, the effects of La ion doping and components on the ferroelectric, dielectric and electric field-induced strain properties were investigated, and provides a new way for improve the strain properties of piezoelectric materials.

Enhanced electro-strain with high electrostrictive performances of Bi0.5Na0.4K0.1TiO3 based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics by Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3

Complex piezoelectric ceramics of (1-x)[0.97(Bi0.5Na0.4K0.1)TiO3–0.03(Ba0.7Sr0.3)TiO3]-xBa(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 or (1-x)[0.97BNKT-0.03BST]-xBFN were investigated, where the x value was between 0 and 0.03. All compositions were synthesized via a conventional mixed oxide method. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques indicated that all ceramics exhibited a coexistence of rhombohedral (R) and tetragonal (T) phases without any impurity phase. However, the T phase became dominant at higher BFN contents. The maximum temperature (Tm), the ferroelectric to ergodic relaxor phase transition temperature (TF-R), and Burn’s temperature (TB) decreased with increasing BFN content, while the dielectric constant at Tm was enhanced for the x = 0.01 ceramic. The BFN additive interrupted ferroelectric ordering, which led to constriction in the hysteresis loops as well as large electric field-induced strains (Smax = 0.42%), a normalized strain coefficient (d*33 = Smax/Emax = 846 pm/V), and an electrostrictive coefficient (Q33 = 0.0432 m4/C2) for the x = 0.01 ceramic under a moderate applied electric field of 50 kV/cm. These results indicated that this ceramic had the potential for electromechanical applications.

Dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of rare earth Sm-doped 0.94 Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06 BaTiO3 lead-free ceramics

Bi0.47-xSmxNa0.47Ba0.06TiO3 (BNT-6BT-xSm) ferroelectric ceramics with different doping contents of samarium (Sm) were prepared by solid-state reaction method. All ceramics lie in the coexistence region of the rhombohedral perovskite phase (R3c) and tetragonal perovskite phase (P4bm). When the Sm content increases, the grain growth is limited, and the average grain size is reduced from 1.69 µm (at the composition of x = 0.005) to 0.86 µm (at the composition of x = 0.05). When Sm is introduced into Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-BaTiO3 binary system, the composition-induced local structure transition occurs, namely the transition from order to disorder. And after the introduction of Sm3+ ions, the depolarization temperature (Td) increases considerably. With the increase of the Sm content, the remnant polarization (Pr) decreases from 52 μC/cm2 to 8 μC/cm2, and the coercive field (Ec) gradually decreases from 37 kV/cm to 14 kV/cm, respectively. Under an electric field of 80 kV/cm, the maximum electric field-induced strain and corresponding normalized strain (d33*) reached 0.35% and 318 pm/V (at the composition of x = 0.03), respectively. The maximum piezoelectric coefficient (d33) is 158 pC/N (at the composition of x = 0.015), resulting from the structure transition between ferroelectric phase and anti-ferroelectric phase. Therefore, BNT-6BT-0.03Sm lead-free ferroelectric ceramic is a promising candidate of lead-based ferroelectric ceramics for piezoelectric actuators.

Ferroelectric-to-relaxor transition and ultrahigh electrostrictive effect in Sm3+-doped Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 ferroelectrics ceramics

Rare-earth Sm3+-doped Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.25PbTiO3 (PMN-0.25PT) ferroelectric ceramics with doping amounts between 0%–3% were developed via a conventional solid-state method. The doping effect of Sm3+ ions on the PMN-0.25PT matrix was systematically investigated on the basis of the phase structure, temperature-dependent dielectric, ferroelectric, and electrotechnical properties. Due to the disruption of long-range ferroelectric order, the addition of Sm3+ ions effectively lowers the Tm (temperature corresponding to maximum permittivity) of the samples, leading to enhanced relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) characteristic and superior electric field-induced strain (electrostrain) properties at room temperature. Intriguingly, a considerable large-signal equivalent piezoelectric coefficient d33* of 2376 pm/V and a very small hysteresis were attained in the PMN-0.25PT component doped with 2.5 mol.% Sm3+. The findings of piezoelectric force microscopy indicate that the addition of Sm3+ increases the local structural heterogeneity of the PMN-0.25PT matrix and that the enhanced electromechanical performance is due to the dynamic behavior of polar nanoregions. Importantly, strong temperature-dependent electrostrain and electrostrictive coefficient Q33 are observed in the critical region around Tm in all Sm3+-modified PMN-0.25PT ceramic samples studied. This work elucidates the phase transition behavior of Sm3+-doped PMN-0.25PT and reveals a critical region where electrostrictive properties can be greatly improved due to a strong temperature-dependent characteristic.

Enhanced piezoelectric properties in coarse-grained 0.7Bi(Fe0.9985Mn0.0015)O3-0.3BaTiO3 ceramics

The lead-free BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT) based ceramics with large piezoelectric coefficient (d33) have been desired for promising applications in high-temperature fields. Herein, the 0.7Bi(Fe0.9985Mn0.0015)O3-0.3BaTiO3 ceramics with different grain sizes are intentionally prepared by solid-state method, and a large d33 (232 pC/N) and high Curie temperature Tc (501 °C) are simultaneously achieved in the case of large grain size (>9 µm). X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement analyses indicate that these coarse-grained samples possess stronger rhombohedral distortion and enlarged lattice parameter compared to fine-grained samples, which make domain switching easier and give rise to the increase in strain. As a result, the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of such samples are significantly improved with increasing grain size from 3.05 µm to 9.07 µm. In addition, electric domain configuration and field-induced strain further prove that the strong piezoelectric response in coarse-grained samples is attributed mainly to enhanced non-180° domain mobility. This study reveals the origin of large piezoelectric response in coarse-grained BF-BT ceramics, and proposes an effective approach to improve the piezoelectric properties of BF-BT ceramics.

Acceptor doping and actuation mechanisms in Sr-doped BiFeO3[sbnd]BaTiO3 ceramics

BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT) ceramics are important multiferroic materials, which are attracting significant attention for potential applications in high temperature lead-free piezoelectric transducers. In the present study, the effects of Sr2+ as an acceptor dopant for Bi3+, in the range from 0 to 1.0% (in mole), on the structure and ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties of 0.7BiFeO3-0.3BaTiO3 ceramics were evaluated. The use of a post-sintering Ar annealing process was found to be an effective approach to reduce electrical conductivity induced by the presence of electron holes associated with reoxidation during cooling. A low Sr dopant concentration (0.3%, in mole) yielded enhanced ferroelectric (Pmax ∼ 0.37 C/m2, Pr ∼ 0.30 C/m2) and piezoelectric (d33 ∼ 178 pC/N, kp ∼ 0.27) properties, whereas higher levels led to chemically heterogeneous core-shell structures and secondary phases with an associated decline in performance. The electric field-induced strain of the Sr-doped BF-BT ceramics was investigated using a combination of digital image correlation macroscopic strain measurements and in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Quantification of the intrinsic (lattice strain) and extrinsic (domain switching) contributions to the electric field induced strain indicated that the intrinsic contribution dominated during the poling process.

Enhanced Piezoelectric, Ferroelectric, and Electrostrictive Properties of Lead-Free (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST Electroceramics with Energy Harvesting Capability.

Next-generation electronics and energy technologies can now be developed as a result of the design, discovery, and development of novel, environmental friendly lead (Pb)-free ferroelectric materials with improved characteristics and performance. However, there have only been a few reports of such complex materials' design with multi-phase interfacial chemistry, which can facilitate enhanced properties and performance. In this context, herein, novel lead-free piezoelectric materials (1-x)Ba0.95 Ca0.05 Ti0.95 Zr0.05 O3 -(x)Ba0.95 Ca0.05 Ti0.95 Sn0.05 O3 , are reported, which are represented as (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST, with demonstrated excellent properties and energy harvesting performance. The (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST materials are synthesized by high-temperature solid-state ceramic reaction method by varying x in the full range (x = 0.00-1.00). In-depth exploration research is performed on the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and electro-mechanical properties of (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST ceramics. The formation of perovskite structure for all ceramics without the presence of any impurity phases is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, which also reveals that the Ca2+ , Zr4+ , and Sn4+ are well dispersed within the BaTiO3 lattice. For all (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST ceramics, thorough investigation of phase formation and phase-stability using XRD, Rietveld refinement, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements provide conclusive evidence for the coexistence of orthorhombic + tetragonal (Amm2 + P4mm) phases at room temperature. The steady transition of Amm2 crystal symmetry to P4mm crystal symmetry with increasing x content is also demonstrated by Rietveld refinement data and related analyses. The phase transition temperatures, rhombohedral-orthorhombic (TR-O ), orthorhombic- tetragonal (TO-T ), and tetragonal-cubic (TC ), gradually shift toward lower temperature with increasing x content. For (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST ceramics, significantly improved dielectric and ferroelectric properties are observed, including relatively high dielectric constant εr ≈ 1900-3300 (near room temperature), εr ≈ 8800-12900 (near Curie temperature), dielectric loss, tan δ ≈ 0.01-0.02, remanent polarization Pr ≈ 9.4-14 µC cm-2 , coercive electric field Ec ≈ 2.5-3.6kV cm-1 . Further, high electric field-induced strain S ≈ 0.12-0.175%, piezoelectric charge coefficient d33 ≈ 296-360 pC N-1 , converse piezoelectric coefficient ≈ 240-340 pm V-1 , planar electromechanical coupling coefficient kp ≈ 0.34-0.45, and electrostrictive coefficient (Q33 )avg ≈ 0.026-0.038 m4 C-2 are attained. Output performance with respect to mechanical energy demonstrates that the (0.6)BCZT-(0.4)BCST composition (x = 0.4) displays better efficiency for generating electrical energy and, thus, the synthesized lead-free piezoelectric (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST samples are suitable for energy harvesting applications. The results and analyses point to the outcome that the (1-x)BCZT-(x)BCST ceramics as a potentially strong contender within the family of Pb-free piezoelectric materials for future electronics and energy harvesting device technologies.

Giant electric field-induced strain and structure evolution of NaTaO3-modified 0.94(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 Pb-free ceramics

To acquire giant electric field-induced strain in non-Pb materials is attracting a great deal of attention in the past decade. In the current investigation, the crystal and domain structures as well as the electrical performances of (1-x) (0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3)-xNaTaO3 (BNBT-xNT) specimens were systematically studied to achieve enhanced strain. The introduction of NT makes the phase structure transit from rhombohedral-tetragonal to pseudo-cubic structure. The original domain structure of BNBT is destroyed, and the disorder degree of the local structure increases. Simultaneously, the remnant polarization, coercive field, and piezoelectric coefficients were significantly decreased. The transition from ferroelectric to ergodic relaxation can be effectively modified, thus lowering the transition zone to room temperature. Finally, the BNBT-3NT ceramics achieve marked strain coefficients at room temperature, with a maximum strain of 0.394% under 65 kV/cm and a d33* of 606 pm/V.

Improved piezoelectric and electric field-induced strain properties in Eu3+ modified 0.42PMN–0.26PIN–0.32PT ceramics

Improved piezoelectric and electric field-induced strain properties in Eu3+ modified 0.42PMN–0.26PIN–0.32PT ceramics

Ultrahigh electrostrain with excellent fatigue resistance in textured Nb 5+-doped (Bi 0.5Na 0.5)TiO 3-based piezoceramics

(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃ (BNT)-based lead-free piezoceramics exhibit excellent electric field-induced strain (electrostrain) properties, but often suffer from large hysteresis and poor fatigue resistance, which strongly limit their applications. Here, &lt;00<i>l</i>&gt; textured Nb⁵⁺-doped 0.8(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃–0.2(Bi_0.5K_0.5)TiO₃ (0.8BNT–0.2BKT) ceramics with a high degree of texturing (~80%) were prepared by the reactive template grain growth (RTGG) method using Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ as a template. By the combination of donor doping in the B-site and the RTGG method, the electrostrain performance achieves a significant enhancement. A high electrostrain of 0.65% and a piezoelectric coefficient (<inline-formula> <math display="inline" id="MA1"><mrow><msubsup><mi>d</mi><mrow><mn>33</mn></mrow><mo>*</mo></msubsup></mrow></math></inline-formula>) of 1083 pm/V with reduced hysteresis at an electric field of 6 kV/mm are obtained. No electrostrain performance degradation is observed after unipolar electric field loading of 10⁵ cycles, showing excellent fatigue endurance. These results indicate that the texturing BNT-based lead-free piezoceramics by the RTGG method is a useful approach to developing eco-friendly actuators.

Effect of ZrO2 doping on the growth of lead-free piezoelectric 0.75(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO3 single crystals by solid-state single crystal growth

Single crystals of 0.75(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO3 have potential for use in piezoelectric actuators because of their large values of electric field-induced strain. Single crystals of 0.75(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO3 have been prepared by solid-state single crystal growth, but growing large crystals is difficult due to matrix grain growth. Previous experiments with 0.95(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.05BaTiO3 showed that doping with ZrO2 reduced matrix grain growth but also reduced single crystal growth. In this work, 0.75(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO3 is doped with small amounts of ZrO2 and the effect on both single crystal and matrix grain growth is examined. ZrO2 addition has a minor effect on single crystal and matrix grain growth.

Electric field-induced strain mechanism in multi-cationic quenched fired BiFeO3-based piezoceramics

Electric field-induced strain mechanism in multi-cationic quenched fired BiFeO3-based piezoceramics

Electric field-induced large strain and photoluminescence properties in SrRECoO4 (RE = Pr, Eu, Sm)-modified BNT-based ferroelectric ceramics

(1-x) (0.935BNT–0.065BaTiO3)-xSrRECoO4 (BNBT6.5-xSREC, RE = Pr, Eu, Sm)–based lead-free ferroelectric ceramics with large electrostrain and photoluminescence effect were prepared in our work. Through introducing the SREC dopant into BNBT6.5, the long-range ferroelectric order of ceramics was disrupted, inducing a weak polar state dominated by polar nanoregions before applying an electric field. Due to the reversible transition of PNRs under the electric field, the electrostrain was greatly promoted. When the content of SREC was 0.012, large field-induced large strains of 0.38–0.44% were obtained under an electric field of 70 kV/cm, equivalent to a large signal d33* (Smax/Emax) of 543–586 pm/V. Moreover, relying on the luminescence effect of RE3+ ions in SREC, the modified ceramics exhibited strong photoluminescence with bright red or orange emissions, depending on the type of RE elements. However, the strong emission was strongly quenched in samples with a higher SREC content due to the photoluminescence quenching effect of the heavy metal (Co3+) ions in the SREC dopant. The quenching model can be based on the formation of non-radiative recombination centers induced by Co3+ ions, which affect the energy transition of RE3+ ions from the excited state to the ground state.

Discovery of photoinduced bidirectional shape deformation in inorganic solid

<h2>Summary</h2> Under photoirradiation, inorganic photostrictive materials undergo a unidirectional deformation (mainly expansion), resulting in tiny strains one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the electric field-driven strains. Here, we report an unprecedented bidirectional deformation under photoirradiation in inorganic solid Pb₃V₂O₈, showing expansion (up to 0.01%) at low photoexcitation and, at high photoexcitation, becoming contracted with compressive strain over 0.4%, comparable to electric field-induced strains. We find that the expansion at low photoexcitation is prompted by photoinduced thermal and nonthermal expansion owing to the elongation of Pb–O bonds driven by photoexcitation-generated interatomic force, whereas the contraction at high photoexcitation with a much larger strain is driven by the V dimerization via an electron-lattice self-amplification process when the photoexcitation-generated V–O interatomic force overwhelms the Pb–O interatomic force. These findings provide a promising candidate with more degrees of freedom for photoactuation and also open a new avenue to design photostrictive materials.