Roadmap and roadblocks for the band gap tunability of metal halide perovskites

Abstract

Solar cells based on metal-halide perovskite semiconductors inspire high hopes for efficient low cost solar cell technology. This material class exhibits a facile tunability of the band gap making them interesting for multi-junction device technology. We here compare and highlight trends in the band gap tunability and device performance metrics in reported metal halide perovskite alloys of a wide compositional range from low band gap compounds, such as FA_0.75Cs_0.25Sn_0.5Pb_0.5I₃ with an absorption onset of 1.2 eV, to high bandgap compounds, such as CsPbBr₃ with an absorption onset close to 2.4 eV. In between, metal halide perovskites can seemingly be seamlessly tuned by compositional engineering. However, mixed bromide–iodide compounds with band gaps above 1.7 eV often exhibit photo-induced phase segregation inducing domains with lower band gaps that emit photons of low energy. This effect also reduces the photoluminescence quantum yield and hence the maximum open circuit voltage achievable in devices. This highlight summarizes general trends for metal halide perovskites with respect to their absorption onset. Furthermore recent progress as well as possible roadblocks for the band gap tunability of metal halide perovskites are highlighted as this is of particular importance for the development of multifunction solar cell technology.