Photostriction of CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskite Crystals

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials exhibit a variety of physical properties. Pronounced coupling between phonon, organic cations, and the inorganic framework suggest that these materials exhibit strong light–matter interactions. The photoinduced strain of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ is investigated using high‐resolution and contactless in situ Raman spectroscopy. Under illumination, the material exhibits large blue shifts in its Raman spectra that indicate significant structural deformations (i.e., photostriction). From these shifts, the photostrictive coefficient of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ is calculated as 2.08 × 10^?8 m² W^?1 at room temperature under visible light illumination. The significant photostriction of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ is attributed to a combination of the photovoltaic effect and translational symmetry loss of the molecular configuration via strong translation–rotation coupling. Unlike CH₃NH₃PbI₃, it is noted that the photostriction of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ is extremely stable, demonstrating no signs of optical decay for at least 30 d. These results suggest the potential of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ for applications in next‐generation optical micro‐electromechanical devices.