It's a Trap: Studying the quantum dot surface on an atomistic scale

Due to their size-dependent properties, high photoluminescence quantum yield and relatively cheap solution-based processing, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are of great interest for application in optoelectronic devices. However, the efficiency of these devices is often limited by the presence of trap states: localized electronic states that lead...

Guilty as Charged: The Role of Undercoordinated Indium in Electron-Charged Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots

Quantum dots (QDs) are known for their size-dependent optical properties, narrow emission bands, and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), which make them interesting candidates for optoelectronic applications. In particular, InP QDs are receiving a lot of attention since they are less toxic than other QD materials and are hence...

Temperature-Dependent Interplay between Structural and Charge Carrier Dynamics in CsMAFA-Based Perovskites

State-of-the-art triple cation, mixed halide perovskites are extensively studied in perovskite solar cells, showing very promising performance and stability. However, an in-depth fundamental understanding of how the phase behavior in Cs_0.05FA_0.85MA_0.10Pb(I_0.97Br_0.03)₃ (CsMAFA)...

Traps in the spotlight: How traps affect the charge carrier dynamics in Cs₂AgBiBr₆ perovskite

Suitable optoelectronic properties of lead halide perovskites make these materials interesting semiconductors for many applications. Toxic lead can be substituted by combining monovalent and trivalent cations, such as in Cs₂AgBiBr₆. However, efficiencies of Cs₂AgBiBr₆-based photovoltaics are still...

Tuning and Probing the Distribution of Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ Trap States Responsible for Broad-Band Photoluminescence in CuInS₂ Nanocrystals

The processes that govern radiative recombination in ternary CuInS₂ (CIS) nanocrystals (NCs) have been heavily debated, but recently, several research groups have come to the same conclusion that a photoexcited electron recombines with a localized hole on a Cu-related trap state. Furthermore, it has been observed that single CIS...