Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Carrier Lifetime Measurements in Semiconductors through the Microwave Photoconductivity Decay Method
Published on: April 18, 2019
Charge Carrier Lifetimes in Cr-Fe-Al-O Thin Films
Abstract:
The effect of compositional variation on charge carrier lifetimes of Cr1Fe0.84Al0.16O3, a promising material for solar water splitting recently identified using combinatorial materials science, is explored using ultrafast time-resolved optical reflectance. The transient signal can be described by a biexponential decay, where the shorter time constant varies over 1 order of magnitude with changing Cr content while the longer one stays constant. Intrinsic performance limitations such as a low charge carrier mobility on the order of 10-3 cm2/(Vs) are identified. Charge carrier lifetime and mobility are discussed as screening criteria for solar water splitting materials.
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