Joon I. Jang

Hybrid Germanium Iodide Perovskite Semiconductors: Active Lone Pairs, Structural Distortions, Direct and Indirect Energy Gaps, and Strong Nonlinear Optical Properties

The synthesis and properties of the hybrid organic/inorganic germanium perovskite compounds, AGeI3, are reported (A = Cs, organic cation). The systematic study of this reaction system led to the isolation of 6 new hybrid semiconductors. Using CsGeI3 (1) as the prototype compound, we have prepared methylammonium, CH3NH3GeI3 (2), formamidinium, HC(NH2)2GeI3 (3), acetamidinium, CH3C(NH2)2GeI3 (4), guanidinium, C(NH2)3GeI3 (5), trimethylammonium, (CH3)3NHGeI3 (6), and isopropylammonium, (CH3)2C(H)NH3GeI3 (7) analogues. The crystal structures of the compounds are classified based on their dimensionality with 1–4 forming 3D perovskite frameworks and 5–7 1D infinite chains. Compounds 1–7, with the exception of compounds 5 (centrosymmetric) and 7 (nonpolar acentric), crystallize in polar space groups. The 3D compounds have direct band gaps of 1.6 eV (1), 1.9 eV (2), 2.2 eV (3), and 2.5 eV (4), while the 1D compounds have indirect band gaps of 2.7 eV (5), 2.5 eV (6), and 2.8 eV (7). Herein, we report on the second harmonic generation (SHG) properties of the compounds, which display remarkably strong, type I phase-matchable SHG response with high laser-induced damage thresholds (up to ∼3 GW/cm(2)). The second-order nonlinear susceptibility, χS(2), was determined to be 125.3 ± 10.5 pm/V (1), (161.0 ± 14.5) pm/V (2), 143.0 ± 13.5 pm/V (3), and 57.2 ± 5.5 pm/V (4). First-principles density functional theory electronic structure calculations indicate that the large SHG response is attributed to the high density of states in the valence band due to sp-hybridization of the Ge and I orbitals, a consequence of the lone pair activation.

Chalcogenide chemistry in ionic liquids: nonlinear optical wave-mixing properties of the double-cubane compound [Sb7S8Br2](AlCl4)3.

The new cation [Sb(7)S(8)Br(2)](3+) has a double-cubane structure and forms as the [AlCl(4)](-) salt from the ionic liquid EMIMBr-AlCl(3) (EMIM = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium) at 165 degrees C. The compound is noncentrosymmetric with space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and exhibits second-harmonic and difference-frequency nonlinear optical response across a wide range of the visible and near-infrared regions.

Strong Second Harmonic Generation from the Tantalum Thioarsenates A3Ta2AsS11 (A = K and Rb)

The strongly anisotropic thioarsenates A(3)Ta(2)AsS(11) are stabilized in a polysulfide flux. All compounds contain the same parallel (1)/(infinity)[Ta(2)AsS(11)(3-)] polymeric anionic chains, but the size of the alkali-metals has a profound effect on the packing of the chains. The K(+) or Rb(+) favor noncentrosymmetric packing of the chains, whereas the larger Cs(+) favors the centrosymmetric packing. The chains feature the combination of two asymmetric units [Ta(2)S(11)] and [AsS(3)] and exhibit strong nonlinear optical (NLO) second harmonic generation (SHG) response. Polycrystalline samples exhibit is up to approximately 15 times stronger SHG than that of commercially used AgGaSe(2).

Soluble semiconductors AAsSe2 (A = Li, Na) with a direct-band-gap and strong second harmonic generation: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

AAsSe(2) (A = Li, Na) have been identified as a new class of polar direct-band gap semiconductors. These I-V-VI(2) ternary alkali-metal chalcoarsenates have infinite single chains of (1/infinity)[AsQ(2)(-)] derived from corner-sharing pyramidal AsQ(3) units with stereochemically active lone pairs of electrons on arsenic. The conformations and packing of the chains depend on the structure-directing alkali metals. This results in at least four different structural types for the Li(1-x)Na(x)AsSe(2) stoichiometry (alpha-LiAsSe(2), beta-LiAsSe(2), gamma-NaAsSe(2), and delta-NaAsSe(2)). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies showed an average cubic NaCl-type structure for alpha-LiAsSe(2), which was further demonstrated to be locally distorted by pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. The beta and gamma forms have polar structures built of different (1/infinity)[AsSe(2)(-)] chain conformations, whereas the delta form has nonpolar packing. A wide range of direct band gaps are observed, depending on composition: namely, 1.11 eV for alpha-LiAsSe(2), 1.60 eV for LiAsS(2), 1.75 eV for gamma-NaAsSe(2), 2.23 eV for NaAsS(2). The AAsQ(2) materials are soluble in common solvents such as methanol, which makes them promising candidates for solution processing. Band structure calculations performed with the highly precise screened-exchange sX-LDA FLAPW method confirm the direct-gap nature and agree well with experiment. The polar gamma-NaAsSe(2) shows very large nonlinear optical (NLO) second harmonic generation (SHG) response in the wavelength range of 600-950 nm. The theoretical studies confirm the experimental results and show that gamma-NaAsSe(2) has the highest static SHG coefficient known to date, 337.9 pm/V, among materials with band gaps larger than 1.0 eV.

Flexible Polar Nanowires of Cs5BiP4Se12 from Weak Interactions between Coordination Complexes: Strong Nonlinear Optical Second Harmonic Generation

The Cs(5)BiP(4)Se(12) salt grows naturally as nanowires that crystallize in the polar space group Pmc2(1), with a = 7.5357(2) A, b = 13.7783(6) A, c = 28.0807(8) A, and Z = 4 at 293(2) K. The compound features octahedral [Bi(P(2)Se(6))(2)](5-) coordination complexes that stack via weak intermolecular Se...Se interactions to form long, flexible fibers and nanowires. The Cs(5)BiP(4)Se(12) fibers are transparent in the near- and mid-IR ranges and were found to exhibit a nonlinear optical second harmonic generation response at 1 microm that is approximately twice that of the benchmark material AgGaSe(2). The material has a nearly direct band gap of 1.85 eV and melts congruently at 590 degrees C. Ab initio electronic structure calculations performed with the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method show that the band gap increases from its local density approximation (LDA) spin-orbit coupling value of 1.15 eV to the higher value of 2.0 eV when the screened-exchange LDA method is invoked and explain how the long nanowire nature of Cs(5)BiP(4)Se(12) emerges.

Strongly nonlinear optical glass fibers from noncentrosymmetric phase-change chalcogenide materials

We report that the one-dimensional polar selenophosphate compounds APSe(6) (A = K, Rb), which show crystal-glass phase-change behavior, exhibit strong second harmonic generation (SHG) response in both crystal and glassy forms. The crystalline materials are type-I phase-matchable with SHG coefficients chi((2)) of 151.3 and 149.4 pm V(-1) for K(+) and Rb(+) salts, respectively, which is the highest among phase-matchable nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with band gaps over 1.0 eV. The glass of APSe(6) exhibits comparable SHG intensities to the top infrared NLO material AgGaSe(2) without any poling treatments. APSe(6) exhibit excellent mid-IR transparency. We demonstrate that starting from noncentrosymmetric phase-change materials such as APSe(6) (A = K, Rb), we can obtain optical glass fibers with strong, intrinsic, and temporally stable second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) response. The as-prepared glass fibers exhibit SHG and difference frequency generation (DFG) responses over a wide range of wavelengths. Raman spectroscopy and pair distribution function (PDF) analyses provide further understanding of the local structure in amorphous state of KPSe(6) bulk glass and glass fiber. We propose that this approach can be widely applied to prepare permanent NLO glass from materials that undergo a phase-change process.

1 /∞(ZrPSe6 - ): A Soluble Photoluminescent Inorganic Polymer and Strong Second Harmonic Generation Response of Its Alkali Salts

Zirconium selenophosphate compounds with a unique polar structure show strong second harmonic generation and they dissolve in polar solvent to produce photoluminescent solutions.

Direct vapor phase growth process and robust photoluminescence properties of large area MoS2 layers

There has been growing research interest in the use of molybdenum disulfide in the fields of optoelectronics and energy harvesting devices, by virtue of its indirect-to-direct band gap tunability. However, obtaining large area thin films of MoS2 for future device applications still remains a challenge. In the present study, the amounts of the precursors (S and MoO3) were varied systematically in order to optimize the growth of highly crystalline and large area MoS2 layers by the chemical vapor deposition method. Careful control of the amounts of precursors was found to the key factor in the synthesis of large area highly crystalline flakes. The thickness of the layers was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The optical properties and chemical composition were studied by photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The emergence of strong direct excitonic emissions at 1.82 eV (A-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of ∼55 × 103) and 1.98 eV (B-exciton, with a normalized PL intensity of ∼5 × 103) of the sample at room temperature clearly indicates the high luminescence quantum efficiency. The mobility of the films was found to be 0.09 cm2/(V·s) at room temperature. This study provides a method for the controlled synthesis of high-quality two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide materials, useful for applications in nanodevices, optoelectronics and solar energy conversion.

Molecular Germanium Selenophosphate Salts: Phase-Change Properties and Strong Second Harmonic Generation

A new series of germanium chalcophosphates with the formula A(4)GeP(4)Q(12) (A = K, Rb, Cs; Q = S, Se) have been synthesized. The selenium compounds are isostructural and crystallize in the polar orthorhombic space group Pca2(1). The sulfur analogues are isostructural to one another but crystallize in the centrosymmetric monoclinic space group C2/c. All structures contain the new molecular anion [GeP(4)Q(12)](4-); however, the difference between the sulfides and selenides arises from the change in crystal packing. Each discrete molecule is comprised of two ethane-like P(2)Q(6) units that chelate to a central tetrahedral Ge(4+) ion in a bidentate fashion. The selenides were synthesized pure by stoichiometric reaction of the starting materials, whereas the sulfides contained second phases. The band gaps of the molecular salts are independent of the alkali metal counterions and have a value of 2.0 eV for the selenides and 3.0-3.1 eV for the sulfides. All A(4)GeP(4)Se(12) compounds melt congruently, and the potassium analogue can be quenched to give a glassy phase that retains its short-range order as shown by Raman spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, K(4)GeP(4)Se(12) is a phase-change material that reversibly converts between glassy and crystalline states and passes through a metastable crystalline state upon heating just before crystallizing into its slow-cooled form. Initial second harmonic generation (SHG) experiments showed crystalline K(4)GeP(4)Se(12) outperforms the other alkali metal analogues and exhibits the strongest second harmonic generation response among reported quaternary chalcophosphates, ~30 times that of AgGaSe(2) at 730 nm. A more thorough investigation of the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties was performed across a range of wavelengths that is almost triple that of previous reports (λ = 1200-2700 nm) and highlights the importance of broadband measurements. Glassy K(4)GeP(4)Se(12) also exhibits a measurable SHG response with no poling.

Optical Nonlinearity in Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4: Diamond-like Semiconductors with High Laser-Damage Thresholds

Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 meet several criteria for promising nonlinear optical materials for use in the infrared (IR) region. Both are air-stable, crystallize in noncentrosymmetric space groups, and possess high thermal stabilities. Cu2CdSnS4 and α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 display wide ranges of optical transparency, 1.4-25 and 0.7-25 μm, respectively, and have relatively large second-order nonlinearity as well as phase matchability for wide regions in the IR. The laser-damage threshold (LDT) for Cu2CdSnS4 is 0.2 GW/cm(2), whereas α/β-Cu2ZnSiS4 has a LDT of 2.0 GW/cm(2) for picosecond near-IR excitation. Both compounds also exhibit efficient third-order nonlinearity. Electronic structure calculations provide insight into the variation in properties.