Enhancing negative thermal quenching in green-emitting perovskite microspheres via shallow trap state modulation

For luminescent materials, negative thermal quenching (NTQ), characterized by an increase in the luminescent intensity with temperature, has a large potential in lighting and display technologies. However, leveraging NTQ in metal halide perovskites is challenging, and the mechanism is not well understood. Herein, by utilizing low-temperature photoluminescence, persistent luminescence and thermoluminescence, the origins of NTQ in CsPbBr₃ microspheres are systematically studied, which pertain to the liberation of carriers from shallow trap states. Experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that the energy of these shallow defect states is approximately 0.135 eV beneath the conduction band. A rapid thermal treatment increases the density of these shallow traps and amplifies the NTQ effect, resulting in an enhancement of room-temperature photoluminescence by more than 60% compared to that at 150 K. The process also reduces the threshold for amplified spontaneous emission to about 45 W/cm². Our findings not only provide a deeper understanding of the NTQ phenomenon in CsPbBr₃ microspheres but also open new avenues for enhancing the performance of perovskite optoelectronic devices through energy state regulation. © The Author(s) 2024.