Hybrid Perovskites Beyond Photovoltaics: Surface, Interface, and Defect Physics for THz, X-ray, and Gas Sensing

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OHPs) have transformed photovoltaics, with single-junction power conversion efficiencies now surpassing 27% and approaching commercial deployment. Their distinctive physical signatures—long carrier diffusion lengths, weak exciton binding, large absorption cross-sections, and compositionally tunable bandgaps—however, extend their utility well beyond solar cells. Recent advances position OHPs as compelling candidates for terahertz (THz) wave sensing, X-ray detection, and chemical and gas sensing. Critically, the performance of these emerging devices is governed not by the bulk photovoltaic response, but by physics operating at surfaces, interfaces, and defect sites: optical phonon vibration modes in the 0.5–3 THz range, molecular defect-incorporated structures, grain-boundary phonon coupling in mixed-phase systems, and chemical-state evolution under bias, illumination, or ionizing radiation. A unified understanding of these phenomena is now indispensable to unlock perovskite functionality “beyond photovoltaics.”This Research Topic invites Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles addressing the surface, interface, and defect physics of hybrid and all-inorganic perovskites for non-photovoltaic device applications. Themes include, but are not limited to:• Optical phonon vibration modes and THz-wave absorption in 3D, 2D, and mixed-phase perovskites• Defect engineering strategies—molecular defects, halogen mixing, and grain-boundary control—for sensor performance• High-resolution surface and interface characterization by synchrotron PES and STM• Perovskite single-crystal and thin-film X-ray detectors: sensitivity, μτ-product, and detection-limit optimization• Perovskite-based gas sensors (ozone, oxygen, humidity) and chemoresistive mechanisms• Lead-free and all-inorganic perovskite alternatives (e.g., CsPbI₃, Bi, Sb-based) for stable sensing devices• Surface passivation, protective overlayers, and interface engineering against environmental degradation Topic editors: Min-Cherl JUNG, Seung Jae OH, Inhee Maeng, Youngmi Lee Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81690/hybrid-perovskites-beyond-photovoltaics-surface-interface-and-defect-physics-for-thz-x-ray-and-gas-sensing