journal article·2026-03

A metastable tetragonal phase in two-dimensional halide perovskite lattices driven by a coherent Higgs mode

Ayushi Shukla, Sraddha Agrawal, Shoshanna Peifer, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Pierre Darancet, Richard D. Schaller

Nature Materials· Volume 25· Issue 3
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Abstract

The optoelectronic properties of metal halide perovskites are defined by their coupled structural and photophysical properties, yet their lattice behaviour remains underexplored. Here, using impulsive stimulated Raman spectroscopy, we study light-induced phonon dynamics of two-dimensional butylammonium lead iodide ((BA)2PbI4) films under varying excitation intensities, photon energies and temperatures. We reveal that, whereas (BA)2PbI4 exhibits two thermally accessible orthorhombic phases, optically excited phonons transiently direct the lattice to a distinct, higher symmetry tetragonal phase. We show that bandgap oscillations arise from simultaneous distortions of in-plane and out-of-plane octahedral tilt angles with oscillations following a low-to-high symmetry pathway, marked by two vibrational frequencies independent of intensity-a signature of an optically excited Higgs mode. Notably, the Higgs mode at below-bandgap excitation induces a fourfold larger spectral shift than above-bandgap, where photogenerated charge carriers drive the system away from the optically induced tetragonal phase. This study illustrates how optomechanical coupling influences the optical properties of two-dimensional perovskites.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Perovskite Materials and Applications · Strong Light-Matter Interactions · 2D Materials and Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

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