arXiv subjects

Jarvist M. Frost

Publications and source records attributed to Jarvist M. Frost.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Matching Terahertz and Hall Mobilities as a Hallmark of Intrinsic Charge Transport in Metal-Halide Perovskites

Charge-carrier transport in soft-lattice materials, including metal-halide perovskites, is often perceived to be highly heterogeneous across different length scales, and influenced by both the intrinsic (dynamic) thermal electronic disorder and extrinsic (static) disorder due to crystal defects, impurities, grain boundaries, and surface states. As a consequence, the reported carrier mobilities obtained by different electrical and optical measurement techniques frequently disagree, raising a critical question: can a truly intrinsic charge transport regime (that is, a regime not dominated by static disorder) extend across macroscopic single crystals of these materials? Here, we demonstrate such a regime in an exemplary metal-halide perovskite system, epitaxial CsPbBr$_{3}$ single crystals, where the local mobility obtained via optical pump-terahertz probe (OPTP) spectroscopy quantitatively agrees with the macroscopic transport mobility across a broad range of experimental conditions. Using a dedicated device platform that enables concurrent Hall-effect and OPTP measurements on the same single-crystalline sample, we obtain consistent room-temperature mobilities of ~ 30 cm$^{2}$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$, among the highest reliably reported for CsPbBr$_{3}$. Both techniques reveal band-like temperature dependence of the hole mobility with similar power exponents, confirming that the same intrinsic transport mechanism governs the ultrafast/local and steady-state/macroscopic responses. These results show that defect-free charge transport is achievable in soft-lattice perovskites on millimetre length scales and establish a robust methodology for benchmarking intrinsic mobility in emerging semiconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Anisotropic electron-phonon interactions in 2D lead-halide perovskites

Two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites offer enhanced stability for perovskite-based applications. Their crystal structure's soft and ionic nature gives rise to strong interactions between charge carriers and ionic rearrangements. Here, we investigate the interaction of photo-generated electrons and ionic polarizations in single-crystal 2D perovskite butylammonium lead iodide, varying the inorganic lammelae thickness in the 2D single crystals. We determined the directionality of the transition dipole moments of the relevant phonon modes (in the 0.3-3 THz range) by angle-and-polarization dependent THz transmission measurements. We find a clear anisotropy of the in-plane photoconductivity, with a 10% reduction along the axis parallel with the transition dipole moment of the most strongly coupled phonon. Detailed calculations, based on Feynman polaron theory, indicate that the anisotropy originates from directional electron-phonon interactions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Roadmap on Photovoltaic Absorber Materials for Sustainable Energy Conversion

Photovoltaics (PVs) are a critical technology for curbing growing levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and meeting increases in future demand for low-carbon electricity. In order to fulfil ambitions for net-zero carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 eq) emissions worldwide, the global cumulative capacity of solar PVs must increase by an order of magnitude from 0.9 TWp in 2021 to 8.5 TWp by 2050 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, which is considered to be a highly conservative estimate. In 2020, the Henry Royce Institute brought together the UK PV community to discuss the critical technological and infrastructure challenges that need to be overcome to address the vast challenges in accelerating PV deployment. Herein, we examine the key developments in the global community, especially the progress made in the field since this earlier roadmap, bringing together experts primarily from the UK across the breadth of the photovoltaics community. The focus is both on the challenges in improving the efficiency, stability and levelized cost of electricity of current technologies for utility-scale PVs, as well as the fundamental questions in novel technologies that can have a significant impact on emerging markets, such as indoor PVs, space PVs, and agrivoltaics. We discuss challenges in advanced metrology and computational tools, as well as the growing synergies between PVs and solar fuels, and offer a perspective on the environmental sustainability of the PV industry. Through this roadmap, we emphasize promising pathways forward in both the short- and long-term, and for communities working on technologies across a range of maturity levels to learn from each other.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Impact of Side Chain Hydrophilicity on Packing, Swelling and Ion Interactions in Oxy-bithiophene Semiconductors

Exchanging hydrophobic alkyl-based side chains to hydrophilic glycol-based side chains is a widely adopted method for improving mixed-transport device performance, despite the impact on solid state packing and polymer-electrolyte interactions being poorly understood. Presented here is a Molecular Dynamics (MD) force field for modelling alkoxylated and glycolated polythiophenes. The force field is validated against known packing motifs for their monomer crystals. MD simulations, coupled with X-ray Diffraction (XRD), show that alkoxylated polythiophenes will pack with a `tilted stack' and straight interdigitating side chains, whilst their glycolated counterpart will pack with a `deflected stack' and an s-bend side chain configuration. MD simulations reveal water penetration pathways into the alkoxylated and glycolated crystals - through the π-stack and through the lamellar stack respectively. Finally, the two distinct ways tri-ethylene glycol polymers can bind to cations are revealed, showing the formation of a meta-stable single bound state, or an energetically deep double bound state, both with a strong side chain length dependance. The minimum energy pathways for the formation of the chelates are identified, showing the physical process through which cations can bind to one or two side chains of a glycolated polythiophene, with consequences for ion transport in bithiophene semiconductors.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2021

Fröhlich polaron effective mass and localization length in cubic materials: degenerate and anisotropic electronic bands

Polarons, that is, charge carriers correlated with lattice deformations, are ubiquitous quasiparticles in semiconductors, and play an important role in electrical conductivity. To date most theoretical studies of so-called large polarons, in which the lattice can be considered as a continuum, have focused on the original Fröhlich model: a simple (non-degenerate) parabolic isotropic electronic band coupled to one dispersionless longitudinal optical phonon branch. The Fröhlich model allows one to understand characteristics such as polaron formation energy, radius, effective mass and mobility. Real cubic materials, instead, have electronic band extrema that are often degenerate or anisotropic and present several phonon modes. In the present work, we address such issues. We keep the continuum hypothesis inherent to the large polaron Fröhlich model, but waive the isotropic and non-degeneracy hypotheses, and also include multiple phonon branches. For polaron effective masses, working at the lowest order of perturbation theory, we provide analytical results for the case of anisotropic electronic energy dispersion, with two distinct effective masses (uniaxial) and numerical simulations for the degenerate 3-band case, typical of III-V and II-VI semiconductor valence bands. We also deal with the strong-coupling limit, using a variational treatment: we propose trial wavefunctions for the above-mentioned cases, providing polaron radii and energies. Then, we evaluate the polaron formation energies, effective masses and localisation lengths using parameters representative of a dozen II-VI, III-V and oxide semiconductors, for both electron and hole polarons...In the non-degenerate case, we compare the perturbative approach with the Feynman path integral approach in characterisizing polarons in the weak coupling limit...

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Multi-Pulse Terahertz Spectroscopy Unveils Hot Polaron Photoconductivity Dynamics in Metal-Halide Perovskites

The behavior of hot carriers in metal-halide perovskites (MHPs) present a valuable foundation for understanding the details of carrier-phonon coupling in the materials as well as the prospective development of highly efficient hot carrier and carrier multiplication solar cells. Whilst the carrier population dynamics during cooling have been intensely studied, the evolution of the hot carrier properties, namely the hot carrier mobility, remain largely unexplored. To address this, we introduce a novel ultrafast visible pump - infrared push - terahertz probe spectroscopy (PPP-THz) to monitor the real-time conductivity dynamics of cooling carriers in methylammonium lead iodide. We find a decrease in mobility upon optically depositing energy into the carriers, which is typical of band-transport. Surprisingly, the conductivity recovery dynamics are incommensurate with the intraband relaxation measured by an analogous experiment with an infrared probe (PPP- IR), and exhibit a negligible dependence on the density of hot carriers. These results and the kinetic modelling reveal the importance of highly-localized lattice heating on the mobility of the hot electronic states. This collective polaron-lattice phenomenon may contribute to the unusual photophysics observed in MHPs and should be accounted for in devices that utilize hot carriers.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Giant Huang-Rhys Factor for Electron Capture by the Iodine Interstitial in Perovskite Solar Cells

Improvement in the optoelectronic performance of halide perovskite semiconductors requires the identification and suppression of non-radiative carrier trapping processes. The iodine interstitial has been established as a deep level defect, and implicated as an active recombination centre. We analyse the quantum mechanics of carrier trapping. Fast and irreversible electron capture by the neutral iodine interstitial is found. The effective Huang-Rhys factor exceeds 300, indicative of the strong electron-phonon coupling that is possible in soft semiconductors. The accepting phonon mode has a frequency of 53 cm$^{-1}$ and has an associated electron capture coefficient of 10$^{-10}$cm$^3$s$^{-1}$. The inverse participation ratio is used to quantify the localisation of phonon modes associated with the transition. We infer that suppression of octahedral rotations is an important factor to enhance defect tolerance.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Accelerated hot-carrier cooling in MAPbI3 perovskite by pressure-induced lattice compression

Hot-carrier cooling (HCC) in metal halide perovskites in the high-density regime is significantly slower compared to conventional semiconductors. This effect is commonly attributed to a hot-phonon bottleneck but the influence of the lattice properties on the HCC behaviour is poorly understood. Using pressure-dependent transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS) we find that at an excitation density below Mott transition, pressure does not affect the HCC. On the contrary, above Mott transition, HCC in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) is around two times as fast at 0.3 GPa compared to ambient pressure. Our electron-phonon coupling calculations reveal about two times stronger electron-phonon coupling for the inorganic cage mode at 0.3 GPa. However, our experiments reveal that pressure promotes faster HCC only above Mott transition. Altogether, these findings suggest a change in the nature of excited carriers in the high-density regime, providing insights on the electronic behavior of devices operating at such high charge-carrier density.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Impact of non-parabolic electronic band structure on the optical and transport properties of photovoltaic materials

For semiconductors used in photovoltaic devices, the effective mass approximation allows calculation of important material properties from first-principles calculations, including optical properties (e.g. exciton binding energies), defect properties (e.g. donor and acceptor levels) and transport properties (e.g. carrier mobilities). The conduction and valence bands of semiconductors are commonly approximated as parabolic around their extrema, which gives a simple theoretical description, but ignores the complexity of real materials. In this work, we use density functional theory to assess the impact of band non-parabolicity on four common thin-film photovoltaic materials - GaAs, CdTe, Cu$_2$ZnSnS$_4$ and CH$_3$NH$_3$PbI$_3$ - at temperatures and carrier densities relevant for real-world applications. First, we calculate the effective mass at the band edges. We compare finite-difference, unweighted least-squares and thermally weighted least-squares approaches. We find that the thermally weighted least-squares method reduces sensitivity to the choice of sampling density. Second, we employ a Kane quasi-linear dispersion to quantify the extent of non-parabolicity, and compare results from different electronic structure theories to consider the effect of spin-orbit coupling and electron exchange. Finally, we focus on the halide perovskite CH$_3$NH$_3$PbI$_3$ as a model system to assess the impact of non-parabolicity on calculated electron transport and optical properties at high carrier concentrations. We find that at a concentration of 10$^{20}$ cm$^-3$ the optical effective mass increases by a factor of two relative to the low carrier-concentration value, and the polaron mobility decreases by a factor of three. Our work suggests that similar adjustments should be made to the predicted optical and transport properties of other semiconductors with significant band non-parabolicity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Perspective: Dielectric and Ferroic Properties of Halide Perovskite Solar Cells

Halide perovskite semiconductors respond to electric fields in a way that varies across time and length scales. We discuss the microscopic processes that give rise to the macroscopic polarization of these materials, ranging from the optical and vibrational response to the transport of ions and electrons. The strong frequency dependence of the dielectric permittivity can be understood by separating the static dielectric constant into its constituents, including the orientional polarization due to rotating dipoles, which connects theory with experimental observations. The controversial issue of ferroelectricity is addressed, where we highlight recent progress in materials and domain characterization, but emphasize the challenge associated with isolating spontaneous lattice polarization from other processes such as charged defect formation and transport. We conclude that CH$_3$NH$_3$PbI$_3$ exhibits many features characteristic of a ferroelastic electret, where a spontaneous lattice strain is coupled to long-lived metastable polarization states.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Acoustic Phonon Lifetimes Limit Thermal Transport in Methylammonium Lead Iodide

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have become an important class of semiconductors for solar cells and other optoelectronic applications. Electron-phonon coupling plays a critical role in all optoelectronic devices, and although the lattice dynamics and phonon frequencies of HOIPs have been well studied, little attention has been given to phonon lifetimes. We report the first high-precision measurements of acoustic phonon lifetimes in the hybrid perovskite methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI), using inelastic neutron spectroscopy to provide high energy resolution and fully deuterated single crystals to reduce incoherent scattering from hydrogen. Our measurements reveal extremely short lifetimes on the order of picoseconds, corresponding to nanometer mean free paths and demonstrating that acoustic phonons are unable to dissipate heat efficiently. Lattice-dynamics calculations using ab-initio third-order perturbation theory indicate that the short lifetimes stem from strong three-phonon interactions and a high density of low-energy optical phonon modes related to the degrees of freedom of the organic cation. Such short lifetimes have significant implications for electron-phonon coupling in MAPI and other HOIPs, with direct impacts on optoelectronic devices both in the cooling of hot carriers and in the transport and recombination of band edge carriers. These findings illustrate a fundamental difference between HOIPs and conventional photovoltaic semiconductors and demonstrate the importance of understanding lattice dynamics in the effort to develop metal halide perovskite optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Dynamic Symmetry Breaking and Spin Splitting in Metal Halide Perovskites

Metal halide perovskites exhibit a materials physics that is distinct from traditional inorganic and organic semiconductors. While materials such as CH3NH3PbI3 are non-magnetic, the presence of heavy elements (Pb and I) in a non-centrosymmetric crystal environment result in a significant spin-splitting of the frontier electronic bands through the Rashba-Dresselhaus effect. We show, from a combination of \textit{ab initio} molecular dynamics, density-functional theory, and relativistic quasi-particle \textit{GW} theory, that the nature (magnitude and orientation) of the band splitting depends on the local asymmetry around the Pb and I sites in the perovskite structure. The potential fluctuations vary in time as a result of thermal disorder and a dynamic lone pair instability of the Pb(II) 6s$^{2}$6p$^{0}$ ion. We show that the same physics emerges both for the organic-inorganic CH3NH3PbI3 and the inorganic CsPbI3 compound. The results are relevant to the photophysics of these compounds and are expected to be general to other lead iodide containing perovskites.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Spontaneous Octahedral Tilting in the Cubic Inorganic Caesium Halide Perovskites CsSnX$_3$ and CsPbX$_3$ (X = F, Cl, Br, I)

The local crystal structures of many perovskite-structured materials deviate from the average space group symmetry. We demonstrate, from lattice-dynamics calculations based on quantum chemical force constants, that all the caesium-lead and caesium-tin halide perovskites exhibit vibrational instabilities associated with octahedral titling in their high-temperature cubic phase. Anharmonic double-well potentials are found for zone-boundary phonon modes in all compounds with barriers ranging from 108 to 512 meV. The well depth is correlated with the tolerance factor and the chemistry of the composition, but is not proportional to the imaginary harmonic phonon frequency. We provide quantitative insights into the thermodynamic driving forces and distinguish between dynamic and static disorder based on the potential-energy landscape. A positive band gap deformation (spectral blueshift) accompanies the structural distortion, with implications for understanding the performance of these materials in applications areas including solar cells and light-emitting diodes.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Perspective: Theory and simulation of hybrid halide perovskites

Organic-inorganic halide perovskites present a number of challenges for first-principles atomistic materials modelling. These `plastic crystals' feature dynamic processes across multiple length-scales and time-scales, which include: (i) transport of slow ions and fast electrons; (ii) highly anharmonic lattice dynamics with short phonon lifetimes; (iii) local symmetry breaking of the average crystallographic space group; (iv) strong relativistic (spin-orbit coupling) effects on the electronic band structure; (v) thermodynamic metastability and rapid chemical breakdown. These issues, which affect the operation of solar cells, are outlined in this perspective. We also discuss general guidelines for performing quantitative and predictive simulations of these materials, which are relevant to metal-organic frameworks and other hybrid semiconducting, dielectric and ferroelectric compounds.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

A photon ratchet route to high-efficiency hybrid halide perovskite intermediate band solar cells

The spin-split indirect bandgap in hybrid-halide perovskites provides a momentum-space realisation of a photon-ratchet intermediate band. Excited electrons thermalise to recombination-protected Rashba pockets offset in momentum space, building up the charge density to have sufficient flux to the higher lying conduction band. This effect could be used to form an intrinsic intermediate band solar cell with efficiencies beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit if a selective low-electron affinity contact can be made to the higher conduction state. This concept is supported by analysis of the many-body electronic structure. Production of above-bandgap voltages under illumination would affirm the physical mechanism proposed here.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Phonon anharmonicity, lifetimes and thermal transport in CH$_3$NH$_3$PbI$_3$ from many-body perturbation theory

Lattice vibrations in CH$_3$NH$_3$PbI$_3$ are strongly interacting, with double well instabilities present at the Brillouin zone boundary. Analysis within a first-principles lattice dynamics framework reveals anharmonic potentials with short phonon quasi-particle lifetimes and mean-free paths. The phonon behaviour is distinct from the inorganic semiconductors GaAs and CdTe where three-phonon interaction strengths are three orders of magnitude smaller. The implications for the applications of hybrid halide perovskites arising from thermal conductivity, band-gap deformation, and charge-carrier scattering through electron-phonon coupling, are presented.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Direct Observation of Dynamic Symmetry Breaking above Room Temperature in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite

Lead halide perovskites such as methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPI) have outstanding optical and electronic properties for photovoltaic applications, yet a full understanding of how this solution processable material works so well is currently missing. Previous research has revealed that MAPI possesses multiple forms of static disorder regardless of preparation method, which is surprising in light of its excellent performance. Using high energy resolution inelastic X-ray (HERIX) scattering, we measure phonon dispersions in MAPI and find direct evidence for another form of disorder in single crystals: large amplitude anharmonic zone-edge rotational instabilities of the PbI_6 octahedra that persist to room temperature and above, left over from structural phase transitions that take place tens to hundreds of degrees below. Phonon calculations show that the orientations of the methylammonium couple strongly and cooperatively to these modes. The result is a non-centrosymmetric, instantaneous local structure, which we observe in atomic pair distribution function (PDF) measurements. This local symmetry breaking is unobservable by Bragg diffraction, but can explain key material properties such as the structural phase sequence, ultra low thermal transport, and large minority charge carrier lifetimes despite moderate carrier mobility.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Indirect to direct bandgap transition in methylammonium lead halide perovskite

Methylammonium lead iodide perovskites are considered direct bandgap semiconductors. Here we show that in fact they present a weakly indirect bandgap 60 meV below the direct bandgap transition. This is a consequence of spin-orbit coupling resulting in Rashba-splitting of the conduction band. The indirect nature of the bandgap explains the apparent contradiction of strong absorption and long charge carrier lifetime. Under hydrostatic pressure from ambient to 325 MPa, Rashba splitting is reduced due to a pressure induced ordering of the crystal structure. The nature of the bandgap becomes increasingly more direct, resulting in five times faster charge carrier recombination, and a doubling of the radiative efficiency. At hydrostatic pressures above 325 MPa, MAPI undergoes a reversible phase transition resulting in a purely direct bandgap semiconductor. The pressure-induced changes suggest epitaxial and synthetic routes to higher efficiency optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗