Efficient Hot Electron Transfer and Extended Separation of Charge Carriers at the 1P Hot State in Sb2Se3/CdSe p–n Heterojunction

Utilization of hot carriers is very crucial in improving the efficiency of solar energy devices. In this work, we have fabricated an Sb2Se3/CdSe p-n heterojunction via a cation exchange method and investigated the possibility of hot electron transfer and relaxation pathways through ultrafast spectroscopy. The enhanced intensity of the CdSe hot excitonic (1P) bleach in the heterostructure system confirmed the hot electron transfer from Sb2Se3 to CdSe. Both the 1S and 1P signals are dynamically very slow in the heterosystem, validating this charge migration phenomenon. Interestingly, recovery of the 1P signal is much slower than that of 1S. This is very unusual as 1S is the lowest-energy state. This observation indicates the strength of hot electron transfer in this unique heterojunction, which helps in increasing the carrier lifetime in the hot state. Extended separation of charge carriers and enhanced hot carrier lifetime would be extremely helpful in extracting carriers and boost the performance of optoelectronic devices.