Temperature dependent optical properties of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite by spectroscopic ellipsometry

Mixed organic-inorganic halide perovskites have emerged as a promising new class of semiconductors for photovoltaics with excellent light harvesting properties. Thorough understanding of the optical properties of these materials is important for photovoltaic device optimization and the insight this provides for the knowledge of energy band structures. Here we present an investigation of the sub-room temperature dependent optical properties of polycrystalline thin films of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites that are of increasing interest for photovoltaics. The complex dielectric function of CH3NH3PbI3 in the energy range of 0.5–4.1 eV is determined between 77 K and 297 K using spectroscopic ellipsometry. An increase in optical permittivity as the temperature decreases is illustrated for CH3NH3PbI3. Optical transitions and critical points were analyzed using the energy dependent second derivative of these dielectric functions as a function of temperature.