Direct Laser Writing of δ- to α-Phase Transformation in Formamidinium Lead Iodide

Oxygen-Mediated (0D) Cs4PbX6 Formation during Open-Air Thermal Processing Improves Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cell Performance

The desire to commercialize perovskite solar cells continues to mount, motivating the development of scalable production. Evaluations of the impact of open-air processing have revealed a variety of physical changes in the fabricated devices─with few changes having the capacity to be functionalized. Here, we highlight the beneficial role of ambient oxygen during the open-air thermal processing of metastable γ-CsPbI3-based perovskite thin films and devices. Physiochemical-sensitive probes elucidate oxygen intercalation and the formation of Pb-O bonds in the CsPbI3 crystal, entering via iodine vacancies at the surface, creating superoxide (O2-) through electron transfer reactions with molecular oxygen, which drives the formation of a zero-dimensional Cs4PbI6 capping layer during annealing (>330 °C). The chemical conversion permanently alters the film structure, helping to shield the subsurface perovskite from moisture and introduces lattice anchoring sites, stabilizing otherwise unstable γ-CsPbI3 films. This functional modification is demonstrated in γ-CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells, boosting the operational stability and photoconversion efficiency of champion devices from 12.7 to 15.4% when annealed in dry air. Such findings prompt a reconsideration of glovebox-based perovskite solar cell research and establish a scenario where device fabrication can in fact greatly benefit from ambient oxygen.

Freeze Metal Halide Perovskite for Dramatic Laser Tuning: Direct Observation via In Situ Cryo-Electron Microscope

A frozen-temperature (below -28 °C) laser tuning way is developed to optimize metal halide perovskite (MHP)'s stability and opto-electronic properties, for emitter, photovoltaic and detector applications. Here freezing can adjust the competitive laser irradiation effects between damaging and annealing/repairing. And the ligand shells on MHP surface, which are widely present for many MHP materials, can be frozen and act as transparent solid templates for MHP's re-crystallization/re-growth during the laser tuning. With model samples of different types of CsPbBr3 nanocube arrays,an attempt is made to turn the dominant exposure facet from low-energy [100] facet to high-energy [111], [-211], [113] and [210] ones respectively; selectively removing the surface impurities and defects of CsPbBr3 nanocubes to enhance the irradiation durability by 101 times; and quickly (tens of seconds) modifying a Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) boundary into another type of boundary like twinning, and so on. The laser tuning mechanism is revealed by an innovative in situ cryo-transmission electron microscope (cryo-TEM) exploration at atomic resolution.

Perovskite Smart Windows: The Light Manipulator in Energy-Efficient Buildings

Uncontrolled sunlight entering through windows contributes to substantial heating and cooling demands in buildings, which leads to high energy consumption from the buildings. Recently, perovskite smart windows have emerged as innovative energy-saving technologies, offering the potential to adaptively control indoor solar heat gain through their impressive sunlight modulation capabilities. Moreover, harnessing the high-efficiency photovoltaic properties of perovskite materials, these windows have the potential to generate power, thereby realizing more advanced windows with combined light modulation and energy harvesting capabilities. This review summarizes the recent advancements in various chromic perovskite materials for achieving light modulation, focusing on both perovskite structures and underlying switching mechanisms. The discussion also encompasses device engineering strategies for smart windows, including the improvement of their optical and transition performance, durability, combination with electricity generation, and the evaluation of their energy-saving performance in building applications. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities associated with perovskite smart windows are explicated, aimed at stimulating more academic research and advancing their pragmatic implementation for building energy efficiency and sustainability.

Raman Spectroscopy of Formamidinium-Based Lead Mixed-Halide Perovskite Bulk Crystals

In recent years, there has been an impressively fast technological progress in the development of highly efficient lead halide perovskite solar cells. Nonetheless, the stability of perovskite films and associated solar cells remains a source of uncertainty and necessitates sophisticated characterization techniques. Here, we report low- to mid-frequency resonant Raman spectra of formamidinium-based lead mixed-halide perovskites. The assignment of the different Raman lines in the measured spectra is assisted by DFT simulations of the Raman spectra of suitable periodic model systems. An important result of this work is that both experiment and theory point to an increase of the stability of the perovskite structure with increasing chloride doping concentration. In the Raman spectra, this is reflected by the appearance of new lines due to the formation of hydrogen bonds. Thus, higher chloride doping results in less torsional motion and lower asymmetric bending contributing to higher stability. This study yields a solid basis for the interpretation of the Raman spectra of formamidinium-based mixed-halide perovskites, furthering the understanding of the properties of these materials, which is essential for their full exploitation in solar cells.

Lattice engineering for stabilized black FAPbI3 perovskite single crystals for high-resolution x-ray imaging at the lowest dose

Preliminary theoretical analyses indicate that lattice relaxation may be used to release lattice strain in the FAPbI3 perovskite to warrant both high x-ray detection performance and improved stability. Herein, we demonstrate stable black α-phase FAPbI3 single crystals (SCs) realized by lattice engineering via annealing in the ambient atmosphere. The engineered α-FAPbI3 SC detector shows almost all the best figures of merit including a high sensitivity of 4.15 × 105 μC Gyair-1 cm-2, a low detection limit of 1.1 nGyair s-1, a high resolution of 15.9 lp mm-1, and a short response time of 214 μs. We further demonstrate high-definition x-ray imaging at a dose rate below 10 nGyair s-1 on the FAPbI3 SC, indicating a minimal dose-area product of 0.048 mGyair cm2 to the patient for one-time posteroanterior chest diagnosis, which is more than 3000 times lower than the international reference level of 150 mGyair cm2. In addition, the robust long-term stability enables the FAPbI3 SC x-ray detector to work steadily for more than 40 years.

Optical Memory, Switching, and Neuromorphic Functionality in Metal Halide Perovskite Materials and Devices

Metal halide perovskite based materials have emerged over the past few decades as remarkable solution-processable optoelectronic materials with many intriguing properties and potential applications. These emerging materials have recently been considered for their promise in low-energy memory and information processing applications. In particular, their large optical cross-sections, high photoconductance contrast, large carrier-diffusion lengths, and mixed electronic/ionic transport mechanisms are attractive for enabling memory elements and neuromorphic devices that are written and/or read in the optical domain. Here, recent progress toward memory and neuromorphic functionality in metal halide perovskite materials and devices where photons are used as a critical degree of freedom for switching, memory, and neuromorphic functionality is reviewed.

Patterning of Metal Halide Perovskite Thin Films and Functional Layers for Optoelectronic Applications

In recent years, metal halide perovskites have received significant attention as materials for next-generation optoelectronic devices owing to their excellent optoelectronic properties. The unprecedented rapid evolution in the device performance has been achieved by gaining an advanced understanding of the composition, crystal growth, and defect engineering of perovskites. As device performances approach their theoretical limits, effective optical management becomes essential for achieving higher efficiency. In this review, we discuss the status and perspectives of nano to micron-scale patterning methods for the optical management of perovskite optoelectronic devices. We initially discuss the importance of effective light harvesting and light outcoupling via optical management. Subsequently, the recent progress in various patterning/texturing techniques applied to perovskite optoelectronic devices is summarized by categorizing them into top-down and bottom-up methods. Finally, we discuss the perspectives of advanced patterning/texturing technologies for the development and commercialization of perovskite optoelectronic devices.

Coupling Localized Laser Writing and Nonlocal Recrystallization in Perovskite Crystals for Reversible Multidimensional Optical Encryption

The ability to generate and manipulate photoluminescence (PL) with high spatial resolution has been of primary importance for applications in micro-optoelectronics, while the emerging metal halide perovskites offer novel material platforms where diverse photonic functionalities and fine structuring are constantly explored. Herein, micro-PL patterns consisting of highly luminescent CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs) in nonluminescent perovskite crystals are directly fabricated by focused femtosecond laser irradiation. Further modulation with a moisture field leads to the selective dissolution of the laser-destabilized perovskite structures as revealed by density functional theory simulations, thus allowing for facile control of the reversible PL from the recrystallization of moisture-induced CsPbBr₃ NCs. By leveraging the coupled laser writing and moisture modulation, multimodal information encryption is realized by reversible encryption-reading and repeatable erasing-refreshing. This optical storage mechanism is also extended to 3D and 4D by realizing spatially and temporally resolved optical encryption. The coupled multifield modulation on perovskite crystals can enable potential applications in optical storage and encryption, and offer a novel solution for the creation and manipulation of localized PL structures with high temporal and spatial resolutions.

Accurate Adjusting the Lattice Strain of Triple-Cation and Mixed-Halide Perovskites for High-Performance Photodetector

The instability of perovskite optoelectronic devices remains a big barrier to their commercialization. The instability caused by external stimuli has been addressed by encapsulation, such as humidity, oxygen, heat, and ultraviolet light. However, the intrinsic instability of perovskite materials due to the lattice strain has not been fully addressed, which affects the physical properties and device performance to a great extent. Tuning the lattice strain by controlling the perovskite composition and ratio is an effective way to further develop efficient and stable devices. Herein, we prepare a series of triple-cation and mixed-halide (FAPbI₃)_x(MAPbBr₃)_y(CsPbI₃)_1-x-y perovskite single-crystal thin films and study the effect of lattice strain on the perovskite optoelectronic properties. Especially, the perovskite photodetector with a horizontal structure based on (FAPbI₃)_0.79(MAPbBr₃)_0.13(CsPbI₃)_0.08 single-crystal thin films exhibits excellent performance with an enhanced responsivity of 40 A/W, high detectivity of 1.9 × 10¹³ Jones, external quantum efficiency of 9100%, and superior stability. This can be explained by the fact that the optimal coordination between each element leads to the release of lattice strain and further produces low defect density and long carrier lifetime in (FAPbI₃)_0.79(MAPbBr₃)_0.13(CsPbI₃)_0.08 single-crystal thin films. This research shows the significance of ion ratios in tuning lattice strain and determining the intrinsic device performance and makes the perovskite (FAPbI₃)_0.79(MAPbBr₃)_0.13(CsPbI₃)_0.08 a promising candidate for the next generation of optoelectronic devices.

Control of the Surface Disorder by Ion-Exchange to Achieve High Open-Circuit Voltage in HC(NH2 )2 PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cell

The ionic nature of organic trihalide perovskite leads to structural irregularity and energy disorder at the perovskite surface, which seriously affects the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells. Here, the origin of the perovskite surface disorder is analyzed, and a facial ion-exchange strategy is designed to regulate the surface chemical environment. By the reconstruction of terminal irregular Pb-I bonds and random cations, the repaired surface is characteristic of the reduced band tail states, consequent to the suppression of the uplift of quasi-Fermi level splitting and photocarrier scattering. The optimized device gets a high open-circuit voltage and operational stability. These findings fully elaborate the underlying mechanism concerning perovskite surface problem, giving guidance on tailoring the energy disorder.

Boosting Long-Term Stability of Pure Formamidinium Perovskite Solar Cells by Ambient Air Additive Assisted Fabrication

Due to the high industrial interest for perovskite-based photovoltaic devices, there is an urgent need to fabricate them under ambient atmosphere, not limited to low relative humidity (RH) conditions. The formamidinium lead iodide (FAPI) perovskite α-black phase is not stable at room temperature and is challenging to stabilize in an ambient environment. In this work, we show that pure FAPI perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have a dramatic increase of device long-term stability when prepared under ambient air compared to FAPI PSCs made under nitrogen, both fabricated with N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). The T 80 parameter, the time in which the efficiency drops to 80% of the initial value, increases from 21 (in N2) to 112 days (in ambient) to 145 days if PbS quantum dots (QDs) are introduced as additives in air-prepared FAPI PSCs. Furthermore, by adding methylammonium chloride (MACl) the power conversion efficiency (PCE) reaches 19.4% and devices maintain 100% of the original performance for at least 53 days. The presence of Pb-O bonds only in the FAPI films prepared in ambient conditions blocks the propagation of α- to δ-FAPI phase conversion. Thus, these results open the way to a new strategy for the stabilization in ambient air toward perovskite solar cells commercialization.

Raman spectroscopy insights into the α- and δ-phases of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3)

Solar perovskites have received phenomenal attention and success over the past decade, due to their high power conversion efficiencies (PCE), ease of fabrication and low cost which has enabled the prospect of them being a real commercial contender to the traditional silicon technology. In one of the several developments on the archetypal MAPbI3 perovskite absorber layer, FAPbI3 was found to obtain a higher PCE, likely due to its more optimum band gap, with doping strategies focusing on the inclusion of MA+/Cs+ cations to avoid the unfavourable phase transformation to a photoinactive phase. To better understand the phase change from the photoactive cubic (Pm3[combining macron]m) black (α) phase to the unwanted photoinactive (P63/mmc) yellow (δ) phase, we make use of variable temperature Raman spectroscopy to probe the molecular species and its relationship to the inorganic framework. We show for the first time there to be no Raman active modes for the α phase up to 4000 cm-1, which can be correlated to the Pm3[combining macron]m cubic symmetry of that phase. Our detailed studies suggest that previous reports of the observation of Raman peaks for this phase are likely associated with degradation reactions from the localised laser exposure and the formation of Raman active lead oxide. In addition, we have identified water as a contributing factor to the transformation, and observed a corresponding signal in the Raman spectra, although confirmation of its exact role still remains inconclusive.

Growth of two-dimensional formamidine lead halide perovskite single-crystalline sheets and their optoelectronic properties

Formamidine-based hybrid perovskite is an excellent optoelectronic material; however, its intrinsic non-layered crystalline structure makes it hard to isolate the corresponding 2D counterparts. In this work, a unique liquid-epitaxy technique was introduced to grow micro-sized two-dimensional FAPbX3 perovskite sheets. Such ultrathin sheets exhibited excellent photo-induced carrier properties with high crystalline quality, as well as provided new opportunities for next-generation optoelectronic devices.

Reversible Pressure-Induced Partial Phase Transition in Few-Layer Black Phosphorus

The experimental identification of structural transitions in layered black phosphorus (BP) under mechanical stress is essential to extend its application in microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices under harsh conditions. High-pressure Raman spectroscopic analysis of BP flakes suggests a transition pressure at ∼4.2 GPa, where the BP's crystal structure progressively transforms from an orthorhombic to a rhombohedral symmetry (blue phosphorus, bP). The phase transition has been identified by observing a transition from blueshift to redshift of the in-plane characteristic Raman modes (B_2g and A_g²) with increasing pressure. Recovery of the vibrational frequencies for all three characteristic Raman modes confirms the reversibility of the structural phase transition. First-principles calculations provide insight into the behavior of the Raman modes of BP under high pressure and reveal the mechanism responsible for the partial phase transition from BP to bP, corresponding to a metastable equilibrium state where both phases coexist.

Laser-Driven Phase Segregation and Tailoring of Compositionally Graded Microstructures in Si-Ge Nanoscale Thin Films

The ability to manipulate the composition of semiconductor alloys on demand and at nanometer-scale resolutions is a powerful tool that could be exploited to tune key properties such as the electronic band gap, mobility, and refractive index. However, existing methods to modify the composition involve altering the stoichiometry by temporal or spatial modulation of the process parameters during material growth, limiting the scalability and flexibility for device fabrication. Here, we report a laser processing method for localized tailoring of the composition in amorphous silicon-germanium (a-SiGe) nanoscale thin films on silicon substrates, postdeposition, by controlling phase segregation through the scan speed of the laser-induced molten zone. Laser-driven phase segregation at speeds adjustable from 0.1 to 100 mm s^-1 allows access to previously unexplored solidification dynamics. The steady-state spatial distribution of the alloy constituents can be tuned directly by setting the laser scan speed constant to achieve indefinitely long Si_1-xGe_x microstructures, exhibiting the full range of compositions (0 < x < 1). To illustrate the potential, we demonstrate a photodetection application by exploiting the laser-written polycrystalline SiGe microstripes, showing tunability of the optical absorption edge over a wavelength range of 200 nm. Our method can be applied to pseudobinary alloys of ternary semiconductors, metals, ceramics, and organic crystals, which have phase diagrams similar to those of SiGe alloys. This study opens a route for direct laser writing of novel devices made of alloy microstructures with tunable composition profiles, including graded-index waveguides and metasurfaces, multispectral photodetectors, full-spectrum solar cells, and lateral heterostructures.

New Strategy to Achieve Laser Direct Writing of Polymers: Fabrication of the Color-Changing Microcapsule with a Core-Shell Structure

This paper proposed an efficient and environmentally friendly strategy to prepare a new color-changing microcapsule with a core-shell structure for laser direct writing of polymers, and only the physical melt blending of polymers was employed. The laser absorber (SnO₂) and the easily carbonized polymer (PC) were designed as the "core" and the "shell" of the microcapsule, respectively. The microcapsules were in situ formed during melt blending. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectrometry confirmed the successful preparation of SnO₂/PC microcapsules with a core-shell structure. Their average diameter was 2.2 μm, and the "shell" thickness was 0.21-0.24 μm. As expected, these SnO₂/PC microcapsules endowed polymers with an outstanding performance of near-infrared (NIR) laser direct writing. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the color change was ascribed to the polymer carbonization because of the instantaneous high temperature caused by the SnO₂ absorption of NIR laser energy. Optical microscopy observed a thick carbonization layer of 234 μm. Moreover, Raman depth imaging revealed the carbonization distribution, confirming that the amorphous carbon produced by the carbonization of the PC "shell" is the key factor of SnO₂/PC microcapsules to provide polymers an outstanding performance of laser direct writing. This color-changing microcapsule has no selectivity to polymers because of providing a black color source (the carbonization of PC) itself, ensuring the high contrast and precision of patterns or texts after laser direct writing for all general-purpose polymers. We believe that this novel strategy to achieve laser direct writing of polymers will have broad application prospects.

Unraveling exciton-phonon coupling in individual FAPbI3 nanocrystals emitting near-infrared single photons

Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) exhibits the narrowest bandgap energy among lead halide perovskites, thus playing a pivotal role for the development of photovoltaics and near-infrared classical or quantum light sources. Here, we unveil the fundamental properties of FAPbI3 by spectroscopic investigations of nanocrystals of this material at the single-particle level. We show that these nanocrystals deliver near-infrared single photons suitable for quantum communication. Moreover, the low temperature photoluminescence spectra of FAPbI3 nanocrystals reveal the optical phonon modes responsible for the emission line broadening with temperature and a vanishing exciton-acoustic phonon interaction in these soft materials. The photoluminescence decays are governed by thermal mixing between fine structure states, with a two-optical phonon Raman scattering process. These results point to a strong Frölich interaction and to a phonon glass character that weakens the interactions of charge carriers with acoustic phonons and thus impacts their relaxation and mobility in these perovskites.