Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 30, 2026

Photomechanical effect

Photomechanical effect is the change in the shape of a material when it is exposed to light. This effect was first documented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880. Kenji Uchino demonstrated that a photostrictive material could be used for legs in the construction of a miniature optically-powered "walker".

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Jul 30, 2026
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Photomechanical effect is the change in the shape of a material when it is exposed to light. This effect was first documented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880.1 Kenji Uchino demonstrated that a photostrictive material could be used for legs in the construction of a miniature optically-powered "walker".2

The most common mechanism of photomechanical effect is light-induced heating.

Photomechanical materials may be considered smart materials due to their natural change implemented by external factors.

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Bell, A. G. (1881). "On the Production and Reproduction of Sound by Light". Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 29: 115.
  2. Uchino, Kenji; Cross, Leslie E. (1980). "Electrostriction and Its Interrelation with Other Anharmonic Properties of Materials". Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. 19 (4). Japan Society of Applied Physics: L171–L173. Bibcode:1980JaJAP..19L.171U. doi:10.1143/jjap.19.l171. ISSN 0021-4922. S2CID 94553913.
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