Spatial Localization of Defects in Halide Perovskites Using Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy.

Photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) emerges as a highly sensitive noncontact technique for measuring absorption spectra and serves for studying defect states within semiconductor thin films. In our study, we applied PDS to methylammonium lead bromide single crystals. By analyzing the frequency dependence of the PDS spectra and the phase difference of the signal, we can differentiate between surface and bulk deep defect absorption states. This methodology allowed us to investigate the effects of bismuth doping and light-induced degradation. The identified absorption states are attributed to MA+ vibrational states and structural defects, and their influence on the nonradiative recombination probability is discussed. This distinction significantly enhances our capability to characterize and analyze perovskite materials at a deeper level.

Changes to Material Phase and Morphology Due to High-Level Molybdenum Doping of ZnO Nanorods: Influence on Luminescence and Defects.

The influence of Mo on the electronic states and crystalline structure, as well as morphology, phase composition, luminescence, and defects in ZnO rods grown as free-standing nanoparticles, was studied using a variety of experimental techniques. Mo has almost no influence on the luminescence of the grown ZnO particles, whereas shallow donors are strongly affected in ZnO rods. Annealing in air causes exciton and defect-related bands to drop upon Mo doping level. The increase of the Mo doping level from 20 to 30% leads to the creation of dominating molybdates. This leads to a concomitant drop in the number of formed ZnO nanorods.

Temperature Dependence of the Urbach Energy in Lead Iodide Perovskites.

To gain insight into the properties of photovoltaic and light-emitting materials, detailed information about their optical absorption spectra is essential. Here, we elucidate the temperature dependence of such spectra for methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3), with specific attention to its sub-band gap absorption edge (often termed Urbach energy). On the basis of these data, we first find clear further evidence for the universality of the correlation between the Urbach energy and open-circuit voltage losses of solar cells. Second, we find that for CH3NH3PbI3 the static, temperature-independent, contribution of the Urbach energy is 3.8 ± 0.7 meV, which is smaller than that of crystalline silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), or gallium nitride (GaN), underlining the remarkable optoelectronic properties of perovskites.