In situ growth of halide perovskite crystals and thin films on optical fiber end facets

TL;DR

Researchers developed a method to grow halide perovskite crystals and thin films directly on optical fiber ends, enabling better integration for optical applications.

Contribution

A novel area-selective wetting strategy enables reliable in situ growth of perovskite materials on optical fiber end facets.

Findings

An area-selective wetting strategy with hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions was used to grow MAPbBr3 crystals on fiber ends.

A vacuum-assisted method enabled the controlled growth of CsPbBr3 thin films on optical fibers.

The method is versatile and works for fibers of various sizes.

Abstract

Halide perovskites exhibit significant advantages for active optical components such as light emitting diodes, solar cells and photodetectors due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. Their nonlinear optical effects and other characteristics also make them suitable for integration into waveguide components, such as optical fibers, for applications like optical modulation. Although some efforts have been made to integrate perovskite nanomaterials with optical fibers, technological challenges have hindered reliable in situ preparation methods. Herein, we propose an area-selective wetting strategy for optical fibers, which utilizes hydrophobic sidewalls and hydrophilic end facets to reliably hold small precursor droplets. By introducing a space confinement strategy to suppress the kinetics of solvent evaporation, methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) perovskite crystals were successfully grown in situ on the fiber end facet. The versatility of this in situ growth method for perovskite crystals on fiber end facets of various sizes has also been verified. In a separate approach, the controllable in situ preparation of CsPbBr3 polycrystalline thin films was achieved through vacuum-assisted rapid crystallization. Our strategy provides a controllable platform for the integration of perovskite materials and optical fibers, enabling further development in optical applications.

An area-selective wetting strategy establishes hydrophobic sidewalls and hydrophilic end facets on optical fibers, which enables the controllable in situ growth of halide perovskite crystals and polycrystalline thin films on fiber end facets.

Figures