Optoelectronic applications of lead halide perovskites

Abstract

Hybrid perovskites are a new class of semiconductor which have proven to be an ideal material for making thin film solar cells. They have the advantages of flexibility, low cost, and easy processing, whilst achieving efficiencies competitive with monocrystalline silicon. Many of the properties which make them ideal for solar cells are also applicable to light emitting devices, and there is now increasing interest in their application for light emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers. This thesis aims to use a range of novel spectroscopy techniques to investigate the origin of these favourable properties, and to exploit these properties to produce high performance distributed feedback lasers.

A detailed understanding of the origins of the excellent properties of hybrid perovskites is of crucial importance in the search for new variations with improved performance or lowered toxicity. This thesis uses Kelvin probe, air photoemission, and resonant ultrasound spectroscopy to probe deeply into the underlying physics of hybrid perovskite single crystals and devices. Using these techniques, we are able to produce detailed maps of the energy levels in a common perovskite solar cell, and we also gain strong insight into the underlying strains and instabilities in the perovskite structure that give rise to their elastic properties.

The strong light emission of hybrid perovskites is then exploited to produce high quality distributed feedback lasers emitting in the green and infrared part of the spectrum. These lasers are observed to have superior stability, good thresholds, and many interesting beam parameters owing to their high refractive index. We explore a wide range of processing methods in order to achieve the lowest lasing threshold and the best stability. Finally, we investigate the properties of low dimensional perovskites and investigate their potential in optoelectronic applications.