High‐Performance Dielectric Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuator Enabled by Its Unique Strain Softening

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) combine light weight, large work output, fast response, and energy efficiency, making them attractive for emerging applications in soft robotics, wearable devices, and biomedical systems. However, their performance under mechanical loading is constrained by low blocking stress (<0.4 MPa). To overcome this limitation, we introduce dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators (DLCEA) that leverage the strain‐softening and anisotropic properties of monodomain liquid crystal elastomers (LCE). By tuning the crosslinking chemistry and mechanical alignment of the LCE network, we engineer DLCEAs capable of delivering large actuation strains (>20%) and significantly enhanced work output under large loads (>1.5 MPa). The optimized DLCEA achieves specific energy densities reaching 440 J/kg at low frequencies (0.5 Hz) and peak power densities of 9100 W/kg at resonance (10 Hz), outperforming state‐of‐the‐art DEAs. Demonstrations include high‐load actuation and fluid pumping with a single‐layer actuator, highlighting the potential of DLCEAs for scalable, high‐performance electromechanical systems.