Structural Origins of Heterogeneity in Halide Perovskite Photophysics

Photoluminescence spectroscopy, and imaging, are widely used to characterize halide perovskite semiconductors. While heterogeneity and distributed kinetics are widely reported, they are often interpreted differently by different authors.  In this talk we explore recombination dynamics in halide perovskites as probed by time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and photoluminescence imaging.  After a discussion of recombination kinetics and their common interpretations, we show that spatial heterogeneity and surface defects are essential features that account for the photoluminescence dynamics commonly reported in perovskite thin films. Finally, we  explore the structural origins of this heterogeneity from the standpoint of both surface chemistry and strain in the semiconductor using a combination of correlative multimodal microscopy and hyperspectral imaging.