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Flexo-photovoltaic effect and above-bandgap photovoltage in halide perovskites

Halide perovskites have outstanding photovoltaic properties which have been optimized through interfacial engineering. However, as these materials approach the limits imposed by the physics of semiconductor junctions, it is urgent to explore alternatives, such as the bulk photovoltaic effect, whose physical origin is different and not bound by the same limits. In this context, we focus on the flexo-photovoltaic effect, a type of bulk photovoltaic effect that was recently observed in oxides under strain gradients. We have measured the flexo-photovoltaic effect of MAPbBr3 and MAPbI3 crystals under bending and found it to be orders of magnitude larger than for SrTiO3, the benchmark flexo-photovoltaic oxide. For sufficiently large strain gradients, photovoltages bigger than the bandgap can be produced. Bulk photovoltaic effects are additive and, for MAPbI3, the flexo-photovoltage exists on top of a native bulk photovoltage that is hysteretic, consistent with the electrically switchable macroscopic polarization of this material. The results suggest that harnessing the flexo-photovoltaic effect through strain gradient engineering can provide a functional leap forward for halide perovskites.