A Ferroelectric-Photovoltaic Effect in SbSI Nanowires

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• Ferroelectric-photovoltaic (FE-PV) effects are crucial for advanced optoelectronic devices.
• Nanowire architectures offer unique properties for energy harvesting and memory applications.
• Antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) is explored for its potential ferroelectric and photovoltaic characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ferroelectric-photovoltaic effect in antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) nanowires for the first time.
• To characterize the structural, optical, and electrical properties of sonochemically prepared SbSI nanowires.
• To evaluate the performance of an SbSI-based FE-PV device for energy harvesting and memory applications.

Main Methods:

• Sonochemical synthesis of SbSI nanowires.
• Characterization using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS).
• Fabrication and testing of an FE-PV device with aligned SbSI nanowires between Pt electrodes.

Main Results:

• SbSI nanowires exhibit an indirect forbidden energy gap (EgIf) of 1.862 eV and a Curie temperature (TC) of 291 K.
• The FE-PV device demonstrated a switchable photoelectrical response dependent on poling electric field and light intensity.
• An open-circuit photovoltage (UOC) of 0.119 V was achieved under 488 nm illumination with 127 mW/cm² optical power.

Conclusions:

• Sonochemically prepared SbSI nanowires exhibit promising ferroelectric-photovoltaic properties.
• The developed SbSI FE-PV device is suitable for solar energy harvesting.
• The device shows potential for non-volatile memory applications leveraging the photovoltaic effect.