Broadband Emission Induced by Band-Edge Carrier Reconfiguration in 2D Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites

Broadband emission in hybrid lead halide perovskites (LHPs) has gained significant attention due to its potential applications in optoelectronic devices. The origin of this broadband emission is primarily attributed to the interactions between electrons and phonons. Most investigations have focused on the impact of structural characteristics of LHPs on broadband emission, while neglecting the role of electronic mobility. In this work, the study investigates the electronic origins of broadband emission in a family of 2D LHPs. Through spectroscopic experiments and density functional theory calculations, the study unveils that the electronic states of the organic ligands with conjugate effect in LHPs can extend to the band edges. These band-edge carriers are no longer localized only within the inorganic layers, leading to electronic coupling with molecular states in the barrier and giving rise to additional interactions with phonon modes, thereby resulting in broadband emission. The high-pressure photoluminescence measurements and theoretical calculations reveal that hydrostatic pressure can induce the reconfiguration of band-edge states of charge carriers, leading to different types of band alignment and achieving macroscopic control of carrier dynamics. The findings can provide valuable guidance for targeted synthesis of LHPs with broadband emission and corresponding design of state-of-the-art optoelectronic devices.

Broadband Profiled Eye-Safe Emission of LMA Silica Fiber Doped with Tm3+/Ho3+ Ions

LMA (Large Mode Area) optical fibers are presently under active investigation to explore their potential for generating laser action or broadband emission directly within the optical fiber structure. Additionally, a wide mode profile significantly reduces the power distribution density in the fiber cross-section, minimizing the power density, photodegradation, or thermal damage. Multi-stage deposition in the MCVD-CDT system was used to obtain the structural doping profile of the LMA fiber multi-ring core doped with Tm3+ and Tm3+/Ho3+ layer profiles. The low alumina content (Al2O3: 0.03wt%) results in low refractive index modification. The maximum concentrations of the lanthanide oxides were Tm2O3: 0.18wt % and Ho2O3: 0.15wt%. The double-clad construction of optical fiber with emission spectra in the eye-safe spectral range of (1.55-2.10 µm). The calculated LP01 Mode Field Diameter (MFD) was 69.7 µm (@ 2000 nm, and 1/e of maximum intensity), which confirms LMA fundamental mode guiding conditions. The FWHM and λmax vs. fiber length are presented and analyzed as a luminescence profile modification. The proposed structured optical fiber with a ring core can be used in new broadband optical radiation source designs.

Broadband Emission Origin in Metal Halide Perovskites: Are Self-Trapped Excitons or Ions?

It has always been a goal to realize high efficiency and broadband emission in single-component materials. The appearance of metal halide perovskites makes it possible. Their soft lattice characteristics and significant electron-phonon coupling synergistically generate self-trapped excitons (STEs), contributing to a broadband emission with a large Stokes shift. Meanwhile, their structural/compositional diversity provides suitable active sites and coordination environments for doping of ns2 ions, allowing 3 Pn ( n =0,1,2) →1 S0 transitions toward broadband emission. The ns2 ions emission is phenomenologically similar to that of STE emission, hindering in-depth understanding of their emission origin, and leading to failure to meet the design requirements for practical applications. In this scenario, herein, the fundamentals and development of such two emission mechanisms are summarized to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of the broadband emission phenomenon, which may pave the way to an ideal customization of broadband-emission metal halide perovskites.

Dual Emission Bands of a 2D Perovskite Single Crystal with Charge Transfer State Characteristics

Several hybrid halide 2D-perovskite species emit light with an emergent and controversial broadband emission Stokes-shifted down from the narrow band emission. This paper uncovers the sub- and above-bandgap emission and absorption characteristics of PEA₂PbI₄ prepared with gap states introduced during single crystal growth. Here, gap states led to coexistent intrinsic and heterostructured electronic frameworks that are selectively accessible with ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light, respectively, resulting in the phenomenon of photoluminescence (PL) switching from narrowband green to broadband red. Electron-energy dependent cathodoluminescence shows a relative increase in the broadband red PL intensity as the electron penetration depth increases from 30 nm to 2 μm, confirming the heterostructured framework is formed in the bulk of the crystal. Excitation-emission power slope of 2.5 and up-conversion pump transient absorption (TA) spectra suggest that the IR up-conversion excitation with red photoluminescence, peaked at 655 nm, is a multiphoton process occurring in the heterostructured framework through a nonlinear optical response. The energetic pathways toward the dual emission bands are revealed by pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy, showing energetically broad gap states with high sensitivity to an IR pump are upconverted and subsequently quickly relax from high to low energy levels within 4 ps. Furthermore, the up-conversion red PL demonstrates a linear polarization with magnetic field effects, thus affirming that the band-like heterostructured framework is crystallographically aligned with characteristics of spatially extended charge-transfer states.

Plant Growth Modeling and Response from Broadband Phosphor-Converted Lighting for Indoor Agriculture

The rapid change in population, environment, and climate is accompanied by the food crisis. As a new type of farming, indoor agriculture opens the possibility of addressing this crisis in the future. In this study, a phosphor-converted light-emitting diode (pc-LED), as energy-saving lighting for indoor agriculture, was used to evaluate the response and effect on the growth of Lactuca sativa. Red phosphors, SrLiAl₃N₄:Eu²⁺ (SLA) and CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ (CASN), were characterized and analyzed with crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties. Eu²⁺-doped phosphors provided the red emission of around 650 nm which is highly matched with the absorption of chlorophyll. Under the same luminescence intensity, broader emission of CASN pc-LED demonstrated a 100% increase of photosynthetically active photon flux density and 130% promotion of plant weight than the SLA pc-LED, which reflected the positive result of the carbon fixation. The chlorophyll and nitrate responses have also revealed the effect of broader red light on indoor agriculture.

Chromaticity-Tunable All-Inorganic Color Converters Fabricated by 3D Printing for Modular Plant Growth Lighting Devices

In photopolymerization-induced 3D printing of glass and ceramics, the demand for a slurry that has high photosensitivity, low viscosity, and high solid content leads to a limited selection of suspended particles. To this end, ultraviolet-assisted direct ink writing (UV-DIW) is proposed as a new 3D printing compatible approach. A curable UV ink is synthesized, which overcomes the material limitation. Benefiting from the advantage of the UV-DIW process, CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺/BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu²⁺ phosphors in glass (CASN/BAM-PiG) as chromaticity-tunable specially shaped all-inorganic color converters are prepared for plant growth lighting using an optimized heat treatment procedure. Size compatible dome-type and flat-type CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ phosphors in glass (CASN-PiG) are constructed in batches. The manufactured dome-type PiG-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) exhibit better heat dissipation capacity and a larger divergence angle. The advantage of CASN/BAM-PiG in plant growth lighting is confirmed by the high degree of resemblance between the emission spectra of CASN/BAM-PiG and the absorption spectra of carotenoid and chlorophyll. A series of dome-type CASN/BAM-PiG based LEDs with selective region doping are constructed, which can weaken reabsorption effects and scientifically match the requirements of different plants. The excellent color-tunable ability and high degree of spectral resemblance indicate the superiority of the proposed UV-DIW process in all-inorganic CASN/BAM-PiG color converters for intelligent agricultural lighting.

High-Tc 1D Phase-Transition Semiconductor Photoluminescent Material with Broadband Emission

One dimensional (1D) organic-inorganic halide hybrid perovskites have the advantages of excellent organic cation modifiability and diversity of inorganic framework structures, which cannot be ignored in the development of multi-functional phase-transition materials in photoelectric and photovoltaic devices. Here, we have successfully modified and synthesized an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite photoelectric multifunctional phase-transition material: [C₇ H₁₃ ONCH₂ F]⋅PbBr₃ (1). The synergistic effect of the order double disorder transition of organic cations and the change of the degree of distortion of the inorganic framework leads to its high temperature reversible phase-transition point of T_c =374 K/346 K and its ultra-low loss high-quality dielectric switch response. Through in-depth research and calculation, compound 1 also has excellent semiconductor characteristics with a band gap of 3.06 eV and the photoluminescence characteristics of self-trapped exciton (STE) broadband emission. Undoubtedly, this modification strategy provides a new choice for the research field of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite reversible phase-transition photoelectric multifunctional materials with rich coupling properties.

Photoluminescence Properties of AScSi2O6:Cr3+ (A = Na and Li) Phosphors with High Efficiency and Thermal Stability for Near-Infrared Phosphor-Converted Light-Emitting Diode Light Sources

Near-infrared (NIR) phosphors are fascinating photoluminescence materials with applications in phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) for night vision lighting, which are still restricted by low efficiency and thermal stability in the current research stage. In this work, AScSi₂O₆ (A = Na/Li) are chosen as hosts due to a larger band gap and a single octahedral site for Cr³⁺ doping. The NIR-emitting Cr³⁺-activated AScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ phosphors were successfully prepared by a common high-temperature solid-state method. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement confirm that the Cr³⁺ prefers to enter the Sc³⁺-octahedral lattice site in the AScSi₂O₆ structure. Under blue light excitation, AScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ phosphors exhibit broadband NIR emission from 700 to 1100 nm with a full width at half-maximum of ∼150 nm owing to the ⁴T₂ → ⁴A₂ electron transition of Cr³⁺. The photoluminescence properties were enhanced by adjusting the fluxes and sintering conditions, and highly efficient LiScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ NIR phosphors with external quantum efficiencies of 33.4% were obtained. Moreover, the optimized LiScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ exhibits excellent thermal stability (75% at 150 °C) with an activation energy of 0.33 eV. Importantly, the fabricated NIR pc-LED with the highly efficient LiScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ phosphor demonstrates brighter NIR light and a higher luminous efficacy than the NaScSi₂O₆:Cr³⁺ phosphor in night vision.

Ni2+-Doped Garnet Solid-Solution Phosphor-Converted Broadband Shortwave Infrared Light-Emitting Diodes toward Spectroscopy Application

Broadband shortwave infrared (SWIR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), capable of advancing the next-generation solid-state smart invisible lighting technology, have sparked tremendous interest and will launch ground-breaking spectroscopy and instrumental applications. Nevertheless, the device performance is still suppressed by the low quantum efficiency and limited emission bandwidth of the critical phosphor layer. Herein, we report a high-performance Ni²⁺-doped garnet solid-solution broadband SWIR emitter centered at ∼1450 nm with a large full-width at half-maximum of ∼300 nm, thereby fabricating, for the first time, a directly excited Ni²⁺-doped garnet solid-solution phosphor-converted broadband SWIR LED device. A synergetic enhancement strategy, adding a fluxing agent and a charge compensator simultaneously, is proposed to deliver a more than 20-fold increase of the SWIR emission intensity and nearly 2-fold improvement of the thermal quenching behavior. The site occupation and mechanism behind the synergetic enhancement strategy are elucidated by a combination of experimental study and theoretical calculation. A prototype of the SWIR LED with a radiation flux of 1.25 mW is fabricated and utilized as an invisible SWIR light source to demonstrate the SWIR spectroscopy applications. This work not only opens a window to explore novel broadband SWIR phosphors but also provides a synergetic strategy to remarkably improve the performance of artificial SWIR LED light sources.

Ultrafast Study of Exciton Transfer in Sb(III)-Doped Two-Dimensional [NH3(CH2)4NH3]CdBr4 Perovskite

Antimony-based metal halide hybrids have attracted enormous attention due to the stereoactive 5s² electron pair that drives intense triplet broadband emission. However, energy/charge transfer has been rarely achieved for Sb³⁺-doped materials. Herein, Sb³⁺ ions are homogeneously doped into 2D [NH₃(CH₂)₄NH₃]CdBr₄ perovskite (Cd-PVK) using a wet-chemical method. Compared to the weak singlet exciton emission of Cd-PVK at 380 nm, 0.01% Sb³⁺-doped Cd-PVK exhibits intense triplet emission located at 640 nm with a near-unity quantum yield. Further increasing the doping concentration of Sb³⁺ completely quenches singlet exciton emission of Cd-PVK, concurrently with enhanced Sb³⁺ triplet emission. Delayed luminescence and femtosecond-transient absorption studies suggest that Sb³⁺ emission originates from exciton transfer (ET) from Cd-PVK host to Sb³⁺ dopant, while such ET cannot occur with Pb²⁺-doped Cd-PVK because of the mismatch of energy levels. In addition, density function theory calculations indicate that the introduced Sb³⁺ likely replace the Cd²⁺ ions along with the deprotonation of butanediammonium for charge balance, instead of generating Cd²⁺ vacancies. This work provides a deeper understanding of the ET of Sb³⁺-doped Cd-PVK and suggests an effective strategy to achieve efficient triplet Sb³⁺ emission beyond 0D Cl-based hybrids.

Broadband Short-Wave Infrared Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Cr3+-Doped LiScGeO4 Phosphor

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy has recently emerged as an important technology across a wide range of areas, whether industrial, biomedical, or environmental. Nevertheless, it is still a long-standing challenge to develop robust SWIR light sources. The SWIR phosphor-convert light emitting diodes (LEDs) by coating blue LED chips with desirable SWIR-emitting phosphors are becoming an ideal alternative for solid-state SWIR light sources due to its compactness, low-cost, and long operating lifetime, as does the commercial white LEDs. Herein, we report a blue-pumped Cr³⁺-doped LiScGeO₄ SWIR phosphor as a luminescent converter for phosphor-convert SWIR LEDs. This phosphor shows an intense SWIR emission band with a peak wavelength at ∼1120 nm owing to the ⁴T₂ → ⁴A₂ electron transition of Cr³⁺ when exciting with blue light. The full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of the phosphor is ∼300 nm and the absolute quantum efficiency is determined to be ∼26%. SWIR LED prototypes are constructed by combining the optimized phosphor materials with commercial blue InGaN LED chips, which can generate a commendable emission band in the SWIR region over 800-1600 nm and achieve a maximum output power of ∼4.78 mW at 60 mA with the photoconversion efficiency of 4.4%. The current exploration of Cr³⁺-doped SWIR-emitting phosphors will lay the foundation to engineer phosphor-convert SWIR LEDs for applications in night-vision surveillance and SWIR spectroscopy technology. These blue-light-excitable SWIR-emitting phosphors can serve as an important complement to the spectral gap of the current Cr³⁺-doped phosphors in the SWIR region and will pave the way toward cost-effective phosphor-converted solid-state SWIR light sources.

Solid-State Thin-Film Broadband Short-Wave Infrared Light Emitters

Solid-state broadband light emitters in the visible have revolutionized today's lighting technology achieving compact footprints, flexible form factors, long lifetimes, and high energy saving, although their counterparts in the infrared are still in the development phase. To date, broadband emitters in the infrared have relied on phosphor-downconverted light emitters based on atomic optical transitions in transition metal or rare earth elements in the phosphor layer resulting in limited spectral bandwidths in the near-infrared and preventing their integration into electrically driven light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Herein, phosphor-converted LEDs based on engineered stacks of multi-bandgap colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are reported as a novel class of broadband emitters covering a broad short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectrum from 1050-1650 nm with a full-width-half-maximum of 400 nm, delivering 14 mW of optical power with a quantum efficiency of 5.4% and power conversion efficiency of 13%. Leveraging the electrical conductivity of the CQD stacks, further, the first broadband SWIR-active LED is demonstrated, paving the way toward complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integrated broadband emitters for on-chip spectrometers and low-cost volume manufacturing. SWIR spectroscopy is employed to illustrate the practical relevance of the emitters in food and material identification case studies.

Self-trapped excitons in two-dimensional perovskites

With strong electron-phonon coupling, the self-trapped excitons are usually formed in materials, which leads to the local lattice distortion and localized excitons. The self-trapping strongly depends on the dimensionality of the materials. In the three-dimensional case, there is a potential barrier for self-trapping, whereas no such barrier is present for quasi-one-dimensional systems. Two-dimensional (2D) systems are marginal cases with a much lower potential barrier or nonexistent potential barrier for the self-trapping, leading to the easier formation of self-trapped states. Self-trapped excitons emission exhibits a broadband emission with a large Stokes shift below the bandgap. 2D perovskites are a class of layered structure material with unique optical properties and would find potential promising optoelectronic. In particular, self-trapped excitons are present in 2D perovskites and can significantly influence the optical and electrical properties of 2D perovskites due to the soft characteristic and strong electron-phonon interaction. Here, we summarized the luminescence characteristics, origins, and characterizations of self-trapped excitons in 2D perovskites and finally gave an introduction to their applications in optoelectronics.

Structure-Dependent Photoluminescence in Low-Dimensional Ethylammonium, Propylammonium, and Butylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskites

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have attracted great attention as the next generation materials for photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. However, their environment instability issue remains as the largest challenge for practical applications. Recently emerging two-dimensional (2D) perovskites with Ruddlesden-Popper structures are found to greatly improve the stability and aging problems. Furthermore, strong confinement of excitons in these natural quantum-well structures results in the distinct and narrow light emission in the visible spectral range, enabling the development of spectrally tunable light sources. Besides the strong quasi-monochromatic emission, some 2D perovskites composed of the specific organic cations and inorganic layer structures emit a pronounced broadband emission. Herein, we report the light-emitting properties and the degradation of low-dimensional perovskites consisting of the three shortest alkylammonium spacers, mono-ethylammonium (EA), n-propylammonium (PA), and n-butylammonium (BA). While (BA)₂PbI₄ is known to form well-oriented 2D thin films consisting of layers of corner-sharing PbI₆ octahedra separated by a bilayer of BA cations, EA with shorter alkyl chains tends to form other types of lower-dimensional structures. Nevertheless, optical absorption edges of as-prepared fresh EAPbI₃, (PA)₂PbI₄, and (BA)₂PbI₄ are obviously blue-shifted to 2.4-2.5 eV compared to their 3D counterpart, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI₃) perovskite, and they all emit narrow excitonic photoluminescence. Furthermore, by carefully optimizing deposition conditions, we have achieved a predominantly 2D structure for (PA)₂PbI₄. However, unlike (BA)₂PbI₄, upon exposure to ambient environment, (PA)₂PbI₄ readily transforms to a different crystal structure, exhibiting a prominently broadband light from ∼500 to 800 nm and a gradual increase in intensity as structural transformation proceeds.

Intrinsic White-Light-Emitting Metal-Organic Frameworks with Structurally Deformable Secondary Building Units

The secondary building units in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are commonly well-defined metal-oxo clusters or chains with very limited structural strain. Herein, the structurally deformable haloplumbate units that are often observed in organolead halide perovskites have been successfully incorporated into MOFs. The resultant materials are a rare class of isoreticular MOFs exhibiting large Stokes-shifted broadband white-light emission, which is probably induced by self-trapped excitons from electron-phonon coupling in the deformable, zigzag [Pb₂ X₃ ]⁺ (X=Cl, Br, or I) chains. In contrast, MOFs with highly symmetric, robust haloplumbate chains only exhibit narrow UV-blue photoemission. The designed MOF-based intrinsic white-light photoemitters have a number of advantages over hybrid inorganic-organic perovskites in terms of stability and tunability, including moisture resistance, facile functionalization of photoactive moieties onto the organic linkers, introduction of luminescent guests.

Pressure-Induced Broadband Emission of 2D Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite (C6H5C2H4NH3)2PbBr4

2D Ruddlesden-Popper halide perovskites, which incorporate hydrophobic organic interlayers to considerably improve environmental stability and optical properties diversity, have attracted substantial research attention for optoelectronic applications. The burgeoning broad emission arising from exciton self-trapping of 2D perovskites shows a strong dependence on a deformable structure. Here, the pressure-induced broadband emission of layered (001) Pb-Br perovskite with a large Stokes shift in the visible region is observed by finely improving lattice distortion to increase exciton-phonon coupling under hydrostatic pressure. Band gap narrows ≈0.5 eV under modest pressure, mainly due to the large compressibility of the orientational organic layer, confirming that the bulky organic cations notably influence the structure and, in turn, the various properties of materials. Sequential amorphization of the organic and inorganic layer is confirmed by high pressure Raman and X-ray diffraction measurements, suggesting the particularity of layered crystal structures. The mechanism constructed here offers a new route for tuning the optical properties of 2D perovskites.

Organic-Inorganic Layered and Hollow Tin Bromide Perovskite with Tunable Broadband Emission

Recently, layered perovskites attracted great attention for its excellent stability and light-emitting property. However, most of them rely on the toxic element lead and their emission quantum yields are generally low. Here, a unique hollow two-dimensional perovskite was developed in which the organic hexamethylene diamines (C₆H₁₈N₂²⁺) strongly coupled with distorted tin bromide anions (SnBr₆^4-). This toxic-free low-dimensional tin perovskite exhibits a broadband emission in the visible region with a high luminescence quantum yield of 86%. First-principles calculation indicate the broadband emission is associated with the recombination of self-trapped excitons. And the emission is related to the geometry of tin bromide anions. An ultraviolet light-pumped white light emitting diode with excellent color-rendering index of 94 was fabricated using it together with a commercially available blue phosphor.