Invention makes perovskite suitable for screens and sensors

Researchers have managed to regulate the photoluminescence of laser-excited perovskite by applying a voltage. The invention makes the hybrid material suitable for a wide range of applications, including screens, sensors and lighting.

The study was conducted by Rutgers University in the US state of New Jersey. They developed a transistor with an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite. They then coated the surface of the mineral with a layer of ionic liquid and made the perovskite emit light by striking it with a laser. The emission of light after exposure to light is also called photoluminescence.

By applying a gate voltage of about 1.2V to the layer of ionic liquid, they were able to precisely regulate the intensity of the photoluminescence of the hybrid perovskite. By adjusting the tension, they were able to increase the intensity about a hundred times. According to the researchers, this is the first time that this has been done in such a controlled manner. “Before, you had to change the temperature drastically or apply enormous pressure to the crystal, which is difficult and expensive. We do it with simply an electronic device at room temperature,” says Vitaly Podzorov, a professor at Rutgers University.

The invention is important for the possible application of hybrid perovskite in solar cells, screens, LED lighting and sensors. Perovskite is seen as a promise for solar cells in particular because it absorbs a lot of light, transports electrons well and is cheap to produce.

The researchers published their work under the title Electric-field effect on photoluminescence of lead-halide perovskites in Materials Today.

Photoluminescence (light red cone) emitted by hybrid perovskite (red) excited by a blue laser after a voltage is applied to the gate.