First-Principles Analysis of the Effects of Halogen Variation on the Properties of Lead-Free Novel Perovskites AlGeX3 (X = F, Cl, Br, and I)

To commercialize optoelectronic products and perovskite-based solar cells, nontoxic inorganic cubic metal halide perovskites have gained popularity. This study presents the structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of novel lead-free metal cubic halide perovskites AlGeX3 (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) using the first-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach. The verification of the mechanical stability of all compounds is conducted through Born stability criteria and formation energy. All of the compounds in the elastic investigations exhibit anisotropy, ductility, and elastic stability. The electronic band structures estimated by HSE06 and GGA-PBE functional demonstrate indirect to direct band gap transformation after substituting the halide F with the halides Cl, Br, and I. The tunability of halide-dependent energy bandgaps and the underestimation of energy band gaps are also noticed for the studied compounds by comparing the results obtained from the GGA-PBE functional and HSE06 investigations. The origins of bandgap transformation as well as halide-dependent energy gap modulation are explained by both the partial and total density of states (PDOS and TDOS). The results presented here suggest that all the compounds show low reflectivity, a high absorption coefficient, and also high optical conductivity in the visible and UV regions, making these materials suitable for multijunctional solar cells. Also, these materials have a greater impact on other optoelectronic device applications. Compared to other compounds, the optical investigation reported here demonstrates that AlGeI3 exhibits excellent optical conductivity and absorption in the visible region.