Enhancing band-edge nonradiative recombination lifetimes in I-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>II</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>-III-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">

Balancing efficiency enhancement and cost reduction is crucial for advancing solar energy and photovoltaic devices. One of the primary sources of energy loss, leading to reduced efficiency, is nonradiative electron-hole recombination within these devices. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the nonradiative properties of excited-state carriers in quaternary Kesterite (KS) and Stannite (ST) phase $\mathrm{I}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{II}}_{2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{III}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{VI}}_{4}$ chalcogenide compounds using first-principles calculations combined with nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD). We identified the characteristics of chemical bond elongation, electron localization and bandgap fluctuations induced by cation modulation. Specifically, forming quaternary structures by introducing Zn and substituting $\mathrm{I}{\mathrm{n}}^{3+}$ with $\mathrm{G}{\mathrm{a}}^{3+}$ and $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}^{+}$ with $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{g}}^{+}$ resulted in increased bandgaps. Through a detailed analysis of orbital and vibrational components, we elucidated the principles for regulating nonadiabatic coupling and carrier lifetimes, including strategies to suppress the ${t}_{2}$ orbital of I-site cations, low-frequency optical phonons and anti-Zeno effects. Compared with the KS structure, the ST structure retains higher symmetry, with suppressed low-frequency electron-vibration interactions, leading to reduced nonradiative recombination. These findings provide insights into effectively reducing nonradiative recombination processes, thereby highlighting the potential of $\mathrm{I}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{II}}_{2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{III}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{VI}}_{4}$ chalcogenide compounds for high-efficiency photovoltaic applications.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Published
2025-10-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/b1mb-2yrj
Primary Topic
Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Enhancing band-edge nonradiative recombination lifetimes in I-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>II</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>-III-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">

Xinwei Guo, Wenhan Zhou, Shengli Zhang, Haibo Zeng
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films
article

Enhancing band-edge nonradiative recombination lifetimes in I-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>II</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>-III-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">

Xinwei Guo, Wenhan Zhou, Shengli Zhang, Haibo Zeng
article en

Abstract

Balancing efficiency enhancement and cost reduction is crucial for advancing solar energy and photovoltaic devices. One of the primary sources of energy loss, leading to reduced efficiency, is nonradiative electron-hole recombination within these devices. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the nonradiative properties of excited-state carriers in quaternary Kesterite (KS) and Stannite (ST) phase $\mathrm{I}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{II}}_{2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{III}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{VI}}_{4}$ chalcogenide compounds using first-principles calculations combined with nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD). We identified the characteristics of chemical bond elongation, electron localization and bandgap fluctuations induced by cation modulation. Specifically, forming quaternary structures by introducing Zn and substituting $\mathrm{I}{\mathrm{n}}^{3+}$ with $\mathrm{G}{\mathrm{a}}^{3+}$ and $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}^{+}$ with $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{g}}^{+}$ resulted in increased bandgaps. Through a detailed analysis of orbital and vibrational components, we elucidated the principles for regulating nonadiabatic coupling and carrier lifetimes, including strategies to suppress the ${t}_{2}$ orbital of I-site cations, low-frequency optical phonons and anti-Zeno effects. Compared with the KS structure, the ST structure retains higher symmetry, with suppressed low-frequency electron-vibration interactions, leading to reduced nonradiative recombination. These findings provide insights into effectively reducing nonradiative recombination processes, thereby highlighting the potential of $\mathrm{I}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{II}}_{2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{III}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{VI}}_{4}$ chalcogenide compounds for high-efficiency photovoltaic applications.

Physical review. B./Physical review. BVol. 112(16)
Nanjing University of Science and Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 70%
Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.