The cubic double perovskites A2ZnWO6 (A = Ba, Sr and Ca) are studied to understand the effect of A cation site, using the density functional theory (DFT) based full potential augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW) with GGA and mBJ exchange correlation potentials. The structural robustness and stability are investigated using the bond lengths and the total energy. The band structure and density of states suggest that all these cubic double perovskites are indirect wide band gap semiconductors. The band gap varies from 3.90 eV (2.97 eV) for Ba2ZnWO6 system to 3.40 eV (2.8 eV) for Ca2ZnWO6 system using mBJ (GGA) exchange correlation potentials. Our studies suggest that cation site modification has a strong effect on physical and electronic properties, in contrast to the structural robustness. The lattice parameter decreases from 8.19 Angstrom to 7.9 Angstrom from Ba to Ca at alkali cation site and the electronic band gap variation follows the common cation rule. The charge densities show enhanced localization of charges near the zinc and oxygen sites with increasing alkali cation atomic radii. In addition, we discuss the impact of A site cation modification on the dielectric and optical properties for A2ZnWO6 double perovskites.
We report two solid solutions based on magnetic ion doping of the double perovskite oxide Sr2GaSbO6: Sr2Ga1-xCrxSbO6 (0.1 < x < 0.4) and Sr2Ga1-xFexSbO6 (0.1 < x < 0.4). All compositions crystallize in the same space group (I4/m) as their undoped parent phase Sr2GaSbO6, with the trivalent magnetic cations Cr3+ or Fe3+ partially substituting for non-magnetic Ga3+ in one of the B-cation sites. The Cr- and Fe-doped phases display dominant antiferromagnetic coupling among the dopant magnetic moments, and exhibit decreasing band gaps with increasing substitution level.
Ferromagnetic insulators (FMIs) are one of the most important components in developing dissipationless electronic and spintronic devices. However, since ferromagnetism generally accompanies metallicity, FMIs are innately rare to find in nature. Here, novel room-temperature FMI films are epitaxially synthesized by deliberate control of the ratio of two B-site cations in the double perovskite Sr2FeReO6. In contrast to the known ferromagnetic metallic phase in stoichiometric Sr2FeReO6, a FMI state with a high Curie temperature (Tc~400 K) and a large saturation magnetization (MS~1.8 μB/f.u.) is fo…
As the race towards higher efficiency for inorganic/organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is becoming highly competitive, a design scheme to maximize carrier transport towards higher power efficiency has been urgently demanded. Here, we unravel a hidden role of A-site cation of PSCs in carrier transport which has been largely neglected, i.e., tuning the Frohlich electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling of longitudinal optical (LO) phonon by A-site cations. The key for steering Frohlich polaron is to control the interaction strength and the number of proton (or lithium) coordination to halide ion…
Hot carrier solar cells hold promise for exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit. Slow hot carrier cooling is one of the most intriguing properties of lead halide perovskites and distinguishes this class of materials from competing materials used in solar cells. Here we use the element selectivity of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy to uncover a previously hidden feature in the conduction band states, the σ-π energy separation, and find that it is strongly influenced by the strength of electronic coupling between the A-cation and bromide-lead sublattice. Our finding provides an alternative mec…
Octahedral rotation-induced ferroelectricity in cation ordered perovskites
对电场可调的电、磁和轨道（EMO）材料的日益增长的需求重新引起了人们对复杂钙钛矿氧化物中的铁电性及其与EMO性质的耦合的兴趣。实现自发极化的历史设计策略涉及二阶Jahn-Teller（SOJT）活性阳离子的掺入。然而，挑战在于，这种机制仅限于特定的化学物质，并且所产生的极性畸变在很大程度上与EMO特性无关，从而限制了它们作为场可调谐多功能技术材料的用途。在这里，我们报告的晶体化学标准，绕过这些限制，并使新材料的合理设计显示八面体旋转诱导铁电性-一种创新的路线，实现电极化的强度，而不需要SOJT阳离子-从非极性积木。该策略利用了中心八面体旋转模式，其强烈耦合到EMO性质，以及在非极性$AB$ O $_3$钙钛矿中通常观察到的阳离子排序。通过将可切换的电极化的强度与过渡金属氧八面体的连接性结合，可以对材料性质进行电场控制。
Hybrid perovskites with mixed organic cations such as methylammonium and formamidinium have attracted interest due to their improved stability and capability to tune their properties varying the composition. In this work we report on the local variation of the structural and electronic properties in mixed A-site cation MA/FA lead iodide perovskites FAXMA1-XPBI3 evaluated from static first-principles calculations in certain structures where the orientations of organic cations result from examining the energy landscape of some compositions. The cation replacement at the A-site to form the solid …
The use of antisolvents during the fabrication of solution-processed lead halide perovskite layers is increasingly common. Usually, the antisolvent is applied by pipetting during the spin-coating process, which often irreversibly alters the composition of the perovskite layer, resulting in the formation of PbI2 at the surface and bulk of the perovskite layer. Here, we demonstrate that by applying the antisolvent via carrier-gas free spraying, the stoichiometry of the perovskite layer is far better preserved. Consequently, the photovoltaic performance of triple cation photovoltaic devices fabri…
Organic or inorganic (A) metal (M) halide (X) perovskites (AMX3) are semiconductor materials setting the basis for the development of highly efficient, low-cost and multijunction solar energy conversion devices. The best efficiencies nowadays are obtained with mixed compositions containing methylammonium, formamidinium, Cs and Rb as well as iodine, bromine and chlorine as anions. The understanding of fundamental properties such as crystal structure and its effect on the band gap, as well as their phase stability is essential. In this systematic study X-ray diffraction and photoluminescense spe…
The discovery of double perovskites A2B(I)B(III)X6 (A=monovalent cation; B(I)/B(III) = metal cation; X = halogen) as Pb(II)-free alternatives has attracted widespread attention, making it possible to introduce d-block metal cations (e.g., d0 and d10) into halide perovskites. However, at present, there are quite limited insights into the underlying bonding orbitals for d-block metal cation-based halide perovskites. Here, we present an orbital engineering strategy to construct two-dimensional (2D) electronic structures in three-dimensional (3D) halide perovskites by rationally controlling the d …
Selecting suitable charge transport layers and suppressing non-radiative recombination at interfaces to the absorber layer are vital to maximize the efficiency of halide perovskite solar cells. In this work, high-quality perovskite thin films and devices are fabricated with different fullerene-based electron transport layers and different self-assembled monolayers as hole transport layers. We then perform a comparative study of a significant variety of different electrical, optical and photoemission-based characterization techniques to quantify the properties of the solar cells, the individual…
Hybrid halide perovskite semiconductors exhibit complex, dynamical disorder while also harboring properties ideal for optoelectronic applications that include photovoltaics. However, these materials are structurally and compositionally distinct from "traditional" compound semiconductors composed of tetrahedrally-coordinated elements with an average valence electron count of silicon. As discussed here, the additional dynamic degrees of freedom of hybrid halide perovskites underlie many of their potentially transformative physical properties. Neutron scattering and spectroscopy studies of the at…
We have studied the properties of the prototype hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite $\text{CH}_3^{}\text{NH}_3^{}\text{PbI}_3^{}$ using relativistic density functional theory (DFT). For our analysis we introduce the concept of $\text{CH}_3^{}\text{NH}_3^+$ "pair modes", that is, characteristic relative orientations of two neighboring $\text{CH}_3^{}\text{NH}_3^+$ cations. In our previous work [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{94}, 045201 (2016)] we identified two preferential orientations that a single $\text{CH}_3^{}\text{NH}_3^+$ cation adopts in a unit cell. The total number of relevant pairs can be re…
Ultrafast vibrational dynamics of inorganic-organic hybrid lead halide perovskite CH3NH3PbI$ in the room-temperature tetragonal phase is investigated under moderate photoexcitation slightly below the band gap. Time-resolved optical Kerr effect signal exhibits periodic modulations due to the libration and twisting of the methylammonium molecule at 4 and 8 THz, in addition to the inorganic sublattice deformation at 1.2 THz. These oscillations are heavily damped, and their frequencies exhibit blueshifts with increasing pump density, contrary to the expectation from conventional laser heating. Our…
The structural, magnetic, magnetocaloric and Griffiths phase (GP) disorder of non-stoichiometric perovskite manganites La_(0.8-x) Sr_(0.2-y) Mn_(1+x+y) O_3 are reported here. Determination of valence states and structural phases evidenced that the smaller cations Mn2+ and Mn3+ will not occupy the A-site of a perovskite under atmospheric synthesis conditions. The same analysis also supports that the vacancy in the A-site of a perovskite induces a similar vacancy in the B-site. The La3+ and Sr2+ cation substitutions in the A-site with vacancy influences the magnetic phase transition temperature …
This work investigates the origins of cation ordering of double perovskites using first-principles theory computations combined with machine learning (ML) and causal relations. We have considered various oxidation states of A, A', B, and B' from the family of transition metal ions to construct a diverse compositional space. A conventional framework employing traditional ML classification algorithms such as Random Forest (RF) coupled with appropriate features including geometry-driven and key structural modes leads to highly accurate prediction (~98%) of A-site cation ordering. We have evaluate…
We find significant differences between degradation and healing at the surface or in the bulk for each of the different APbBr3 single crystals (A=CH3NH3+, methylammonium (MA); HC(NH2)2+, formamidinium (FA); and cesium, Cs+). Using 1- and 2-photon microscopy and photobleaching we conclude that kinetics dominate the surface, and thermodynamics the bulk stability. Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy, as well as results from several other methods, relate the (damaged) state of the halide perovskite (HaP) after photobleaching to its modified optical and electronic properties. The A cation type…
This work is aimed to study mixed-cation (hybrid methyl ammonium plus inorganic cations) halide perovskites using first principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) formalism in order to find their potential applications in perovskite based photovoltaics. This is an addition to the two previous studies performed by the author on high-throughput screening of hybrid halide and inorganic halide perovskites. This work involves mixing certain amounts of the inorganic cation to the organic site (methyl ammonium) and study the electronic structure of the resultant. 63 perovskites have been simulated in…
We successfully dope the magnetically silent double perovskite semiconductor Sr2GaSbO6 to induce ferromagnetism and tune its band gap, with Ga3+ partially substituted by the magnetic trivalent cation Mn3+, in a rigid cation ordering with Sb5+. Our new ferromagnetic semiconducting Sr2Ga1-xMnxSbO6 double perovskite, which crystallizes in tetragonal symmetry (space group I4/m) and has tunable ferromagnetic ordering temperature and band gap, suggests that magnetic ion doping of double perovskites is a productive avenue towards obtaining materials for application in next-generation oxide-based spin…
Ambiguity in B-Site cation ordering: A Case study of the double perovskite Ca$_2$CoNbO$_6$
Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology（斯科尔科沃科学技术研究所）；Zavoisky Physical-Technical Institute, Federal Research Center “Kazan Scientific Center of RAS”（扎沃伊斯基物理技术研究所，俄罗斯科学院鞑靼斯坦科学中心联邦研究中心）；Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University（喀山（伏尔加沿岸）联邦大学）；Institute of Solid State Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UB)（俄罗斯科学院固体化学研究所（乌拉伯分支））
Solution-processed quantum dots (QDs) have a high potential for fabricating low cost, flexible and large-scale solar energy harvesting devices. It has recently been demonstrated that hybrid devices employing a single monovalent cation perovskite solution for PbS QD surface passivation exhibit enhanced photovoltaic performance when compared to standard ligand passivation. Herein we demonstrate that the use of a triple cation Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3 perovskite composition for surface passivation of the quantum dots results in highly efficient solar cells, which maintain 96 % of th…
We report a first-principles study of Bi-based 3$d$-5$d$ ordered double perovskite oxides (A$_2$BB$^\prime$O$_6$) with a 3$d$ atom (Fe) at the B-site and 5$d$ atoms (Re,Ir) at the B$^\prime$-site while keeping highly polarizable ions (Bi$^{3+}$) at the A-site. We find that, under coherent heteroepitaxy, Bi$_2$FeReO$_6$} exhibits a strain-driven anti-ferromagnetic insulator to ferrimagnetic semi-metal transition, while Bi$_2$FeIrO$_6$ shows correlation driven ferromagnetic insulator to ferrimagnetic half-metal transition with calculated magnetic moments of 5 $μ_B$/f.u. and 3 $μ_B$/f.u., respect…
Previous theoretical calculations show azetidinium has the right radial size to form a 3D perovskite with lead halides [1], and has been shown to impart, as the A-site cation of ABX3 unit, beneficial properties to ferroelectric perovskites [2]. However, there has been very limited research into its use as the cation in lead halide perovskites to date. In this communication we report the synthesis and characterization of azetidinium-based lead mixed halide perovskite colloidal nanocrystals. The mixed halide system is iodine and chlorine unlike other reported nanocrystals in the literature where…
Perovskite-like oxides $AB'_{1/2}B''_{1/2}$O$_3$ may experience different ordering degrees of $B$-cations, that can be varied by suitable synthesis conditions or post-synthesis treatment. In this work the earlier proposed statistical model of order-disorder phase transitions of $B$-cations is extended to account for the effect of pressure. Depending on composition, pressure is found to either increase or decrease the order-disorder phase transition temperature. The change of transition temperature due to pressure in many cases reaches several hundreds of kelvin at pressures accessible in labor…
Polycrystalline samples of double perovskites Ba2BOsO6 (B = Sc, Y, In) were synthesized by solid state reactions. They adopt the cubic double perovskite structures (space group, Fm-3m) with ordered B and Os arrangements. Ba2BOsO6 (B = Sc, Y, In) show antiferromagnetic transitions at 93 K, 69 K, and 28 K, respectively. The Weiss-temperatures are -590 K for Ba2ScOsO6, -571 K for Ba2YOsO6, and -155 K for Ba2InOsO6. Sc3+ and Y3+ have the open-shell d0 electronic configuration, while In3+ has the closed-shell d10. This indicates that a d0 B-type cation induces stronger overall magnetic exchange int…
Electronic and stability properties of quasi-2D alkylammonium perovskites are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and validated experimentally on selected classes of compounds. Our analysis is focused on perovskite structures of formula (A)$_2$(A$'$)$_{n-1}$Pb$_n$X$_{3n+1}$, with large cations A = butyl-, pentyl-, hexylammonium (BA, PA, HXA), small cations A$'$ = methylammonium, formamidinium, ethylammonium, guanidinium (MA,FA,EA,GA) and halogens X = I, Br, Cl. The role of the halogen ions is outlined for the band structure, stability and defect formation energies. …
Magnetic insulators have been intensively studied for over 100 years, and they, in particular ferrites, are considered to be the cradle of magnetic exchange interactions in solids. Their wide range of applications include microwave devices and permanent magnets . They are also suitable for spintronic devices owing to their high resistivity, low magnetic damping, and spin-dependent tunneling probabilities. The Curie temperature is the crucial factor determining the temperature range in which any ferri/ferromagnetic system remains stable. However, the record Curie temperature has stood for over …
The effect of 14 organic cations on the optical properties of the lead iodine perovskite is analyzed. The electronic and optical properties are obtained using first principles. The absorption coefficients are split into inter-atomic species components in order to quantify all of the contributions. For energies close to the bandgaps, the main contribution is from the Pb-Pb intra-species transitions. For higher energy this contribution is still important in addition to I-I and Pb-I contributions, and to the 3 and 4 species term. Almost all absorption properties are qualitatively similar. Further…
Halide perovskites consist a class of materials under intense investigation due to their potential technological applications like solar cells, optoelectronic devices and catalysis. Recently we have studied using electronic band structure calculations from first principles, the cubic MABX$_3$ compounds [A. Koliogiorgos et al., Comput. Mater. Sci. \textbf{138}, 92 (2017)], where MA stands for the methylammonium cation, B is a divalent cation and X a halogen. We expand our study in the case where Cs stands in place of the MA cation. Our results suggest that the Cs-based compounds exhibit also a …
Origin of the Temperature-Induced Gap Bowing of Formamidinium-Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskites: Role of Cationic Rattlers
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC（巴塞罗那材料科学研究所）；University of Bath（巴斯大学）；University of Bristol（布里斯托大学）；Cardiff University（卡迪夫大学）；ICREA（加泰罗尼亚高级研究院）
Predicting morphotropic phase boundary locations and transition temperatures in Pb- and Bi-based perovskite solid solutions from crystal chemical data and first-principles calculations
使用从第一性原理计算获得的数据，我们表明，准同型相界（MPB）的位置和转变温度在MPB的铁电钙钛矿解决方案可以预测与定量准确性的组成阳离子的属性。通过密度泛函理论计算发现，Pb（B $'$ B $''$）O $_3$ -PbTiO $_3$，BiBO $_3$-PbTiO $_3$和Bi（B $'$ B $''$）O $_3$ -PbTiO $_3$中PbTiO $_3$在MPB处的摩尔分数与B阳离子的离子尺寸（容差因子）和离子位移呈线性关系.这种依赖性是由于局部排斥和A-阳离子位移排列相互作用之间的竞争。包含第一原理位移数据也允许在MPB的过渡温度的准确预测。得到的结构-性能的相关性被用来预测准同型相界和转变温度在尚未合成的固溶体。
We demonstrate the critical role of surface recombination in mixed-cation, mixed-halide perovskite, FA0.83Cs0.17Pb(I0.85Br0.15)3. By passivating non-radiative defects with the polymerizable Lewis base (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) we transform these thin films. We demonstrate average minority carrier lifetimes > 4 μs, nearly single exponential monomolecular PL decays, and concomitantly high external photoluminescence quantum efficiencies (>20%, corresponding to ~97% of the maximum theoretical quasi-Fermi-level splitting) at low excitation fluence. We confirm both the composition and …
The scalability of highly efficient organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is one of the remaining challenges of solar module manufacturing. Various scalable methods have been explored to strive for uniform perovskite films of high crystal quality on large-area substrates. However, each of these methods have individual drawbacks, limiting the successful commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics. Here, we report a fully scalable hybrid process, which combines vapor- and solution-based techniques to deposit high quality uniform perovskite films on large-area substrates. This two-ste…
Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are exceedingly interesting candidates for new solar energy technologies, for both ground-based and space applications. However, their large-scale production is hampered by the lack of long-term stability, mostly associated to ion migration. The specific role of non-covalent bonds in contributing to the stability remains elusive, and in certain cases controversial. Here, we perform an investigation on a large perovskite chemical space via a combination of first-principles calculations for the bond strengths and the recently developed Sure Independent Screen…
