Thermal Disorder‐Induced Strain and Carrier Localization Activate Reverse Halide Segregation

Abstract

AbstractThe reversal of halide ions is studied under various conditions. However, the underlying mechanism of heat‐induced reversal remains unclear. This work finds that dynamic disorder‐induced localization of self‐trapped polarons and thermal disorder‐induced strain (TDIS) can be co‐acting drivers of reverse segregation. Localization of polarons results in an order of magnitude decrease in excess carrier density (polaron population), causing a reduced impact of the light‐induced strain (LIS – responsible for segregation) on the perovskite framework. Meanwhile, exposing the lattice to TDIS exceeding the LIS can eliminate the photoexcitation‐induced strain gradient, as thermal fluctuations of the lattice can mask the LIS strain. Under continuous 0.1 W cm⁻2 illumination (upon segregation), the strain disorder is estimated to be 0.14%, while at 80 °C under dark conditions, the strain is 0.23%. However, in situ heating of the segregated film to 80 °C under continuous illumination (upon reversal) increases the total strain disorder to 0.25%, where TDIS is likely to have a dominant contribution. Therefore, the contribution of entropy to the system's free energy is likely to dominate, respectively. Various temperature‐dependent in situ measurements and simulations further support the results. These findings highlight the importance of strain homogenization for designing stable perovskites under real‐world operating conditions.