Probing the Multiexcitonic Dynamics in CsPbI₃ Nanocrystals across the Temperature-Induced Reversible Phase Transitions

CsPbI₃ nanocrystals (CPI NCs) have become a trending research topic due to their impressive potential in functional optoelectronic devices and optical gain applications. Their optical responses are governed by carrier dynamics, which is greatly influenced by temperature and corresponding phase structure due to the effects of inherently electron-phonon coupling. Notably, CPI NCs have been identified to adopt an unexpectedly stable cubic phase from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. Here, using in situ cryogenic electron diffraction measurements, it is unambiguously demonstrated that CPI NCs undergo consecutive cubic-tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transitions from 298 to 100 K. The corresponding temperature-dependent multiexcitonic dynamics are investigated in each phase by combining time-resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy. In addition to the temperature dependency, the lifetime of both excitons and biexcitons evidently depends on the phase structures of the CPI NCs, highlighting the crucial effect of crystal structure on the carrier dynamics. Moreover, the biexciton binding energy increases with higher crystal symmetry due to the decrease of the dielectric constant. The findings shed light on the structural phase transition and its relationship to the carrier dynamics in all-inorganic perovskite NCs, which provides critical insight into the structure-performance relationship in CPI NCs for promising applications in optoelectronic devices.