3D-to-2D Transition of Anion Vacancy Mobility in CsPbBr3 under Hydrostatic Pressure

Anion vacancy migration in the orthorhombic Pnma phase of the lead-halide perovskite CsPbBr3 under hydrostatic pressure is studied computationally. Density functional theory calculations are used to determine transition states, activation enthalpies, and attempt frequencies for vacancies to hop between nearby lattice sites, under pressure in the range 0.0-2.0 GPa. The resulting data are used to parametrize a kinetic model of vacancy migration under the influence of an electric field, which is solved in the steady state to determine the anion vacancy mobility tensor as a function of pressure. It is found that the mobility tensor becomes increasingly anisotropic with increasing pressure, such that at 2.0 GPa, the mobility within the (010) lattice plane is 3 orders of magnitude greater than the mobility normal to it. The results demonstrate the potentially significant influence of pressure, and by extension, other forms of stress, on defect migration in lead-halide perovskites.