MSE Graduate Seminar: Atomic Structure of Thin films in the Cesium-Lead-Bromine System

Cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite nanocrystals have a promising future in the field of optoelectronics. Their potential applications are primarily in improving the efficiency of solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). The growing interest in perovskites motivated us to study the growth of the two binary constituents, Cesium bromide (CsBr) and Lead bromide (PbBr2) on a metallic substrate, as well as the results of co-deposition to produce the perovskite. In this study, ultra-thin films have been grown using thermal evaporation, studied using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT). The observation of many different phases shows the challenge in producing high quality films in this system.