Abstract

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have excited the photovoltaic community due to their high light to power conversion efficiencies. In this talk I will show our recent results on the lattice dynamics (fast time scales ≈ps) and on the HOIP formation mechanisms (slow time scales ≈minutes). One of the distinguishing properties of HOI Ps compared to conventional semiconductors is the considerable disorder in the lattice that varies over length and time scales. These lattice dynamics are important for both the cooling and transport of photoexcited charge carriers. In the first part of this talk, I describe our high-precision measurements of acoustic phonon lifetimes in the hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) that reveal extremely short lifetimes on the order of picoseconds, corresponding to nanometer mean free paths, showing that acoustic phonons are unable to efficiently dissipate heat. These findings illustrate a fundamental difference between HOI Ps and conventional photovoltaic semiconductors. Another surprising aspect of HOI Ps is that they are synthesized under mild conditions (e.g., 100°C annealing) and solution processing. I will also discuss the formation of MAPbI3 films from the single-step deposition of lead chloride and three equivalents of methylammonium iodide (PbCl2 + 3CH3NH3I). We use X-ray scattering and absorption to determine the film formation mechanisms, revealing the importance of a self-regulating mechanism that slows the film growth. This provides insight into optimizing processing conditions and realizing enhanced optoelectronic properties in HOI Ps.