Highly anisotropic organometal halide perovskite nanowalls grown by Glancing Angle Deposition

TL;DR

This paper reports the novel fabrication of highly aligned, anisotropic methylammonium lead iodide perovskite nanowalls using Glancing Angle Deposition, enabling polarization-sensitive optoelectronic devices with enhanced optical properties.

Contribution

It introduces a new vacuum-based method to create perovskite nanowalls with strong anisotropic optical properties on various substrates.

Findings

Nanowalls exhibit a maximum polarization ratio of 0.43.

Photovoltaic devices with nanowalls show a 2.1% photocurrent difference under polarized near-infrared light.

The fabrication process is versatile and compatible with different substrates.

Abstract

Polarizers are ubiquitous components in optoelectronic devices of daily use as displays, optical sensors or photographic cameras, among others. Yet the control over light polarization is an unresolved challenge as the main drawback of the current display technologies relays in significant optical losses. In such a context, organometal halide perovskites can play a decisive role given their flexible synthesis with under design optical properties . Therefore, along with their outstanding electrical properties have elevated hybrid perovskites as the material of choice in photovoltaics and optoelectronics. Among the different organometal halide perovskite nanostructures, nanowires and nanorods have lately arise as key players for the control of light polarization for lighting or detector applications. Herein, we will present the unprecedented fabrication of highly aligned and anisotropic methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite nanowalls by Glancing Angle Deposition of PbI2 under high vacuum followed by CH3NH3I deposition at normal angle. Our approach offers a direct route for the fabrication of perovskite nanostructures virtually on any substrate, including on photovoltaic devices. The unparalleled alignment degree of the perovskite nanowalls provides the samples with strong anisotropic optical properties such as light absorption and photoluminescence, the latter with a maximum polarization ratio of P=0.43. Furthermore, the implementation of the MAPI nanowalls in photovoltaic devices provides them with a polarization-sensitive response, with a maximum photocurrent difference of 2.1 % when illuminating with the near-infrared range of the solar spectrum (>700 nm). Our facile vacuum-based approach embodies a milestone in the development of last generation polarization-sensitive perovskite-based optoelectronic devices such as lighting appliances or self-powered photodetectors.