Giant In-Plane Bulk Photovoltaic Response in γ-type Indium Selenide from Pressure-Induced Symmetry Breaking.
10 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of High Pressure and Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
- 2School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
- 3School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China.
- 4Institute of New Energy Materials and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.
- 5Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), Beijing, 100193, China.
- 6State Key Laboratory of Advanced Waterproof Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- 7State Key Laboratory of High Pressure and Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China. [email protected].
- 8Institute of Quantum Science and Technology, Yanbian University, Yanji, 133002, China. [email protected].
- 9School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China. [email protected].
- 10State Key Laboratory of High Pressure and Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China. [email protected].
Abstract
The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) in polar crystals offers a promising way to surpass the energy-conversion limits of conventional p-n junction devices. In layered materials, BPVE is typically dominated by an out-of-plane component. However, strong in-plane performance is essential for planar photovoltaics, requiring innovative strategies to overcome fundamental material constraints. In this study, an innovative pressure-induced emergence of in-plane BPVE is demonstrated in the planar-nonpolar layered bulk semiconductor γ-type indium selenide. External pressure distorts the lattice and breaks the intrinsic threefold rotational symmetry, triggering in-plane photovoltaic responses that are otherwise symmetry-forbidden at ambient pressure. Furthermore, the in-plane BPVE shows a distinctive crystallographic orientation dependence: the photocurrent is significantly higher along the armchair direction than along the zigzag direction, with a large anisotropy ratio of up to 280 observed at 0.16 GPa. Experimental characterization and first-principles calculations reveal that pressure lifts the symmetry-protected planar nonpolarity, reconstructing the electronic structure and activating a sizable in-plane shift-current response that is forbidden at ambient pressure. More broadly, this work establishes symmetry engineering through pressure as a general strategy for achieving large in-plane bulk photovoltaic responses in layered systems, without relying on material nanostructuring or interfacial design.
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BibTeX
@article{lin2026giant,
title = {{Giant In-Plane Bulk Photovoltaic Response in γ-type Indium Selenide from Pressure-Induced Symmetry Breaking.}},
author = {Yue Lin and Benhao Zhu and Lei Yue and Jiahao Xie and Shucong Li and Dianlong Zhao and Qing Dong and Linchao Yu and Sikang Zheng and Tianyao Pei and Yonggang Wang and Kunbo Xu and Chenyi Li and Peixi Zhou and Quanjun Li and Lijun Zhang and Bingbing Liu},
journal = {Nature communications},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-77652-4},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907438},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Giant In-Plane Bulk Photovoltaic Response in γ-type Indium Selenide from Pressure-Induced Symmetry Breaking.
AU - Yue Lin
AU - Benhao Zhu
AU - Lei Yue
AU - Jiahao Xie
AU - Shucong Li
AU - Dianlong Zhao
AU - Qing Dong
AU - Linchao Yu
AU - Sikang Zheng
AU - Tianyao Pei
AU - Yonggang Wang
AU - Kunbo Xu
AU - Chenyi Li
AU - Peixi Zhou
AU - Quanjun Li
AU - Lijun Zhang
AU - Bingbing Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - Nature communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-77652-4
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907438
AB - The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) in polar crystals offers a promising way to surpass the energy-conversion limits of conventional p-n junction devices. In layered materials, BPVE is typically dominated by an out-of-plane component. However, strong in-plane performance is essential for planar photovoltaics, requiring innovative strategies to overcome fundamental material constraints. In this study, an innovative pressure-induced emergence of in-plane BPVE is demonstrated in the planar-nonpolar layered bulk semiconductor γ-type indium selenide. External pressure distorts the lattice and breaks the intrinsic threefold rotational symmetry, triggering in-plane photovoltaic responses that are otherwise symmetry-forbidden at ambient pressure. Furthermore, the in-plane BPVE shows a distinctive crystallographic orientation dependence: the photocurrent is significantly higher along the armchair direction than along the zigzag direction, with a large anisotropy ratio of up to 280 observed at 0.16 GPa. Experimental characterization and first-principles calculations reveal that pressure lifts the symmetry-protected planar nonpolarity, reconstructing the electronic structure and activating a sizable in-plane shift-current response that is forbidden at ambient pressure. More broadly, this work establishes symmetry engineering through pressure as a general strategy for achieving large in-plane bulk photovoltaic responses in layered systems, without relying on material nanostructuring or interfacial design.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -