  We study a realization of the inflationary scenario where the Peccei-Quinn
(PQ) symmetry is spontaneously broken during inflation, facilitated by its
non-minimal coupling to gravity. This results in effectively two-field
inflation: the early stage is driven by an inflaton field with the PQ symmetry
intact, and the later stage is driven by the PQ scalar after its effective mass
becomes tachyonic, causing destabilization from the origin. The non-minimal
coupling serves the dual purpose of restoring the PQ symmetry during early
inflation and flattening the PQ potential post-tachyonic shift, allowing for
continued slow roll. We analyze the inflationary background solutions and
scalar perturbations, which are amplified at small scales via significant
isocurvature perturbations generated near the symmetry-breaking epoch. These
perturbations lead to second-order gravitational waves, detectable by
next-generation space-based experiments.
