Bringing measurements across time, space and spectrum together is revealing the hidden dynamics of innovative optoelectronic devices and novel semiconductor materials

Maxim Simmonds measuring perovskite solar mini module samples with Solira. (Courtesy: PicoQuant)

When evaluating new materials for optoelectronic applications – perhaps promising solar panel materials like halide perovskites or semiconductor compounds for microLED displays – optical characterization is almost always the materials scientists’ first port of call. And up to now steady-state photoluminescence (PL) has been the de facto workhorse for this task.

This non-destructive and highly sensitive technique involves optically exciting a sample and recording the integrated intensity and wavelength of re-emitted photons. Through this, researchers gain a quick understanding into a material’s electronic structure, optical transitions and emission characteristics.

However, these spectra alone can be misleading.…