Efficient Carrier Multiplication in Low Band Gap Mixed Sn/Pb Halide Perovskites

Abstract

Carrier multiplication (CM) generates multiple electron-hole pairs in a semiconductor from a single absorbed photon with energy exceeding twice the band gap. Thus, CM provides a promising way to circumvent the Shockley- Queisser limit of solar cells. The ideal material for CM should have significant overlap with the solar spectrum and should be able to fully utilize the excess energy above the band gap for additional charge carrier generation. We report efficient CM in mixed Sn/Pb halide perovskites (band gap of 1.28 eV) with onset just above twice the band gap. The CM rate outcompetes the carrier cooling process leading to efficient CM with a quantum yield of 2 for photoexcitation at 2.8 times the band gap. Such efficient CM characteristics add to the many advantageous properties of mixed Sn/Pb metal halide perovskites for photovoltaic applications.