(Invited) Metal Halide Perovskite Heterostructures: Synthesis and Fundamental Charge Transfer Studies

Abstract

Metal halide perovskites are inexpensive semiconductor materials promising for high performance solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs) because they are easy to synthesize and tolerant of defects. Fundamental understanding of the factors controlling the carrier transfer mechanisms in heterostructures of halide perovskites is crucial for guiding the synthetic strategies to improve properties and device applications. We developed new methods for synthesizing nanostructures of both three-dimensional (3D) perovskites and two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) layered perovskites, and using them to create novel and arbitrary heterostructures, such as 2D/3D perovskite, vertical and lateral 2D heterostructures, with high quality interface and tunable band alignments. Various structural characterization and time-resolved spectroscopic methods have been employed to collaboratively study the carrier transfer mechanisms between these well-defined heterostructures of 2D and 3D perovskites. These diverse families of perovskite materials and their nanostructures and heterostructures can enable high performance solar cells, lasers, LEDs, and spintronic applications.