Optical Control of Symmetry Breaking in Metal Halide Perovskites

Optical control of polarization in light, spin, and structure in solids provides a noninvasive way to drive the multifunctionality of materials. However, designing such responsive materials often requires high-energy photons or extremely low-energy photons coupled to the lattice phonon modes in traditional solid-state materials, such as oxide perovskites. Soft lattice halide perovskites are emerging as semiconducting solid-state materials that revolutionize state-of-the-art materials chemistry, physics, and optoelectronics.<br/>In this talk, I will present our recent work on controlling polarization in light, spin, and structures in halide perovskites. I will begin with our recent observations of controlling and probing hidden polar states in copper halide perovskites by directly exciting the Jahn-Teller active copper halide lattice. This approach allows us to drive the polar domains, potentially advancing the ferroic applications of these materials.