arXiv subjects

M. Saiful Islam

Publications and source records attributed to M. Saiful Islam.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Ligand Engineering for Precise Control of Ultrathin CsPbI3 Nanoplatelet Superlattices for Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes

Strongly-confined perovskite nanoplatelets (PeNPLs) offer opportunities not found in conventional isotropic nanocubes, especially in producing linearly polarized light, as well as enhancing outcoupling through control over the transition dipole moment. But this requires ultrathin nanoplatelets with three or fewer monolayers of PbI6 octahedra across the thickness, which are challenging to synthesise uniformly, and their luminescence is strongly affected by surface defects. Together, these limit the performance of ultrathin PeNPLs in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Here, we address these challenges with an ancillary ligand engineering strategy. We demonstrate that ligands with phosphoryl functional groups strongly bind to the perovskite surface, while having an organic backbone that is not sterically bulky ensures high ligand density. By modulating nucleation and growth, these ancillary ligands lead to monodisperse PeNPLs that stack more uniformly when self-assembled into superlattices, with suppressed agglomeration. As a result, from edge-up PeNPL superlattices, we achieve enhanced degree of polarization, while from face-down PeNPL superlattices, we achieve enhanced outcoupling that results in LEDs with 13.1% external quantum efficiency, the highest reported for ultrathin PeNPL LEDs. This work establishes ancillary ligand-induced synthesis as a decisive route to achieve uniform nanoplatelets with robust orientation control, enabling full utilization of the multifunctionality of anisotropic PeNPLs.

physics.optics↗

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↗

arXiv2023

Anion-polarisation-directed short-range-order in antiperovskite Li$_2$FeSO

Short-range ordering in cation-disordered cathodes can have a significant effect on their electrochemical properties. Here, we characterise the cation short-range order in the antiperovskite cathode material Li$_2$FeSO, using density functional theory, Monte Carlo simulations, and synchrotron X-ray pair-distribution-function data. We predict partial short-range cation-ordering, characterised by favourable OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ oxygen coordination with a preference for polar cis-OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ over non-polar trans-OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ configurations. This preference for polar cation configurations produces long-range disorder, in agreement with experimental data. The predicted short-range-order preference contrasts with that for a simple point-charge model, which instead predicts preferential trans-OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ oxygen coordination and corresponding long-range crystallographic order. The absence of long-range order in Li$_2$FeSO can therefore be attributed to the relative stability of cis-OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ and other non-OLi$_4$Fe$_2$ oxygen-coordination motifs. We show that this effect is associated with the polarisation of oxide and sulfide anions in polar coordination environments, which stabilises these polar short-range cation orderings. We propose similar anion-polarisation-directed short-range-ordering may be present in other heterocationic materials that contain cations with different formal charges. Our analysis also illustrates the limitations of using simple point-charge models to predict the structure of cation-disordered materials, where other factors, such as anion polarisation, may play a critical role in directing both short- and long-range structural correlations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Temperature-Dependent Dynamic Disproportionation in LiNiO$_2$

Nickelate materials offer diverse functionalities for energy and computing applications. Lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO$_2$) is an archetypal layered nickelate, but the electronic structure of this correlated material is not yet fully understood. Here we investigate the temperature-dependent speciation and spin dynamics of Ni ions in LiNiO$_2$. Our ab initio simulations predict that Ni ions disproportionate into three states, which dynamically interconvert and whose populations vary with temperature. These predictions are verified using x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the Ni L$_{3,2}$-edge. Charge-transfer multiplet calculations consistent with disproportionation reproduce all experimental features. Together, our experimental and computational results support a model of dynamic disproportionation that explains diverse physical observations of LiNiO$_2$, including magnetometry, thermally activated electronic conduction, diffractometry, core-level spectroscopies, and the stability of ubiquitous antisite defects. This unified understanding of the fundamental material properties of LiNiO$_2$ is important for applications of nickelate materials as battery cathodes, catalysts, and superconductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

The Persistence of Memory in Ionic Conduction Probed by Nonlinear Optics

Predicting practical rates of ion transport from atomistic descriptors enables the rational design of materials, devices, and processes, which is especially critical to developing low-carbon energy technologies such as rechargeable batteries. The correlated mechanisms of ionic conduction, variation of conductivity with timescale and confinement, and ambiguity in the vibrational origin of translation, the attempt frequency, call for a direct atomic probe of the most fundamental steps of ionic diffusion: ion hops. However, such hops are rare-event large-amplitude translations, and are challenging to excite and detect. Here we use single-cycle terahertz pumps to impulsively trigger ionic hopping in battery solid electrolytes. This is visualized by an induced transient birefringence enabling direct probing of anisotropy in ionic hopping on the picosecond timescale. The relaxation of the transient signal measures the decay of orientational memory, and the production of entropy in diffusion. We extend experimental results using in silico transient birefringence to identify attempt frequencies for ion hopping. Using nonlinear optical methods, we probe ion transport at its fastest limit, distinguish correlated conduction mechanisms from a true random walk at the atomic scale, and demonstrate the connection between activated transport and the thermodynamics of information.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Defect-Driven Anomalous Transport in Fast-Ion Conducting Solid Electrolytes

Solid-state ionic conduction is a key enabler of electrochemical energy storage and conversion. The mechanistic connections between material processing, defect chemistry, transport dynamics, and practical performance are of considerable importance, but remain incomplete. Here, inspired by studies of fluids and biophysical systems, we re-examine anomalous diffusion in the iconic two-dimensional fast-ion conductors, the $β$- and $β^{\prime\prime}$-aluminas. Using large-scale simulations, we reproduce the frequency dependence of alternating-current ionic conductivity data. We show how the distribution of charge-compensating defects, modulated by processing, drives static and dynamic disorder, which lead to persistent sub-diffusive ion transport at macroscopic timescales. We deconvolute the effects of repulsions between mobile ions, the attraction between the mobile ions and charge-compensating defects, and geometric crowding on ionic conductivity. Our quantitative framework based on these model solid electrolytes connects their atomistic defect chemistry to macroscopic performance with minimal assumptions and enables mechanism-driven 'atoms-to-device' optimization of fast-ion conductors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Particle Morphology and Lithium Segregation to Surfaces of the Li$_7$La$_3$Zr$_2$O$_{12}$ Solid Electrolyte

Solid electrolytes for solid-state Li-ion batteries are stimulating considerable interest for next-generation energy storage applications. The Li$_7$La$_3$Zr$_2$O$_{12}$ garnet-type solid electrolyte has received appreciable attention as a result of its high ionic conductivity. However, several challenges for the successful application of solid-state devices based on Li$_7$La$_3$Zr$_2$O$_{12}$ remain, such as dendrite formation and maintaining physical contact at interfaces over many Li intercalation/extraction cycles. Here, we apply first-principles density functional theory to provide insights into the Li$_7$La$_3$Zr$_2$O$_{12}$ particle morphology under various physical and chemical conditions. Our findings indicate Li segregation at the surfaces, suggesting Li-rich grain boundaries at typical synthesis and sintering conditions. On the basis of our results, we propose practical strategies to curb Li segregation at the Li$_7$La$_3$Zr$_2$O$_{12}$ interfaces. This approach can be extended to other Li-ion conductors for the design of practical energy storage devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2012

The importance of anisotropic Coulomb interactions and exchange to the band gap and antiferromagnetism of β-MnO2 from DFT+U

First principles density functional theory (DFT) is used to investigate the electronic structure of β-MnO2. From collinear spin polarized calculations we find that DFT+U_Eff predicts a gapless ferromagnet in contrast with experiment which indicates an insulating antiferromagnet. The inclusion of anisotropic Coulomb and exchange interactions in the DFT+U approach, defining U and J explicitly, corrects these errors and leads to an antiferromagnetic ground state with a fundamental gap of 0.8 eV consistent with low temperature experiments. To our knowledge, this work on β-MnO2 represents the first demonstration of a case in which the application of fully anisotropic interactions in DFT+U determines the magnetic order and consequent band gap, while the more commonly used effective U approach fails. Such effects are argued to be of importance in many insulating materials. The mechanism leading to an increase in band gap due to anisotropic interactions is highlighted by analytical calculation of DFT+U d-orbital eigenvalues obtained within a Kanamori-type model. Magnetic coupling constants obtained by the fitting of a Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian to the energies of a range of magnetic states assist in rationalizing the finding that anisotropic interactions enhance the stability of the experimentally observed helical antiferromagnetic order. The plane wave PAW method yields poorer results for the exchange couplings than full-potential LAPW calculations. Finally, we compare the DFT+U results with exchange couplings obtained from hybrid functionals. It is argued that anisotropic interactions should be included in DFT+U if the results are to be properly compared with those from hybrid functionals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Effects of Cation Vacancy Distribution in Doped LaMnO3+d Perovskites

In this paper we report studies on the correlation between the presence and distribution of cation vacancies in doped manganites (La,M)MnO3+delta (where M = Na, Ca) and their magnetic properties. Results indicate that cation vacancies are distributed differently for the different crystal structures and dopant ion type. In particular it is shown that knowledge of the total vacancies concentration alone is not enough to fully characterize the physical properties of manganites and that their distribution between the A and B sites of the perovskite structure plays a crucial role which should be taken into account in future studies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗