Publication date: 22nd July 2026
Two-dimensional metal halide perovskites (2D-MHPs) are chemically and structurally diverse semiconducting materials with promising applications in photovoltaics and optoelectronics. The understanding of charge and heat transport is crucial for improving the performance and stability of devices made from these materials. I will discuss our recent efforts on developing time-resolved optical spectroscopy and imaging techniques for characterizing the anisotropic flow of heat in these hierarchically architectured materials, as well as heat dissipation in MHP-based films and devices that feature defects, grain boundaries, and cracks. I will then demonstrate how we might turn the generally poor thermal transport property of these strongly excitonic materials into a desirable characteristic, where we employ these materials for thermal-type, all-optical photodetection of long-wavelength light covering the short-wave infrared and the long-wave infrared. If time permits, I will also present our efforts on spatiotemporally resolving phase transitions in 2D- and 3D-MHPs with time-resolved optical microscopy at the intrinsic time and length-scales.
We thank the support from the Office of Naval Research under Grant No. 00014-24-1-2045, and the National Science Foundation under Grants No. DMR-2313648 and No. CBET-2315077.
