Double perovskites, comprising two different cations, are potential nontoxic alternatives to lead halide perovskites. Here, we characterized thin films and crystals of Cs₂AgBiBr₆ by time-resolved microwave conductance (TRMC), which probes formation and decay of mobile charges upon pulsed irradiation. Optical excitation of films results in the formation of charges with a yield times mobility product, φΣμ > 1 cm²/Vs. On excitation of millimeter-sized crystals, the TRMC signals show, apart from a fast decay, a long-lived tail. Interestingly, this tail is dominant when exciting close to the bandgap, implying the presence of mobile charges with microsecond lifetimes. From the temperature and intensity dependence of the TRMC signals, we deduce a shallow trap state density of around 10¹⁶/cm³ in the bulk of the crystal. Despite this high concentration, trap-assisted recombination of charges in the bulk appears to be slow, which is promising for photovoltaic applications.

Despite their compositional versatility, most halide double perovskites feature large band gaps. Herein, we describe a strategy for achieving small band gaps in this family of materials. The new double perovskites Cs₂AgTlX₆ (X=Cl (1) and Br (2)) have direct band gaps of 2.0 and 0.95 eV, respectively, which are approximately 1 eV lower than those of analogous perovskites. To our knowledge, compound 2 displays the lowest band gap for any known halide perovskite. Unlike in A^IB^IIX₃ perovskites, the band-gap transition in A^I ₂BB′X₆ double perovskites can show substantial metal-to-metal charge-transfer character. This band-edge orbital composition is used to achieve small band gaps through the selection of energetically aligned B- and B′-site metal frontier orbitals. Calculations reveal a shallow, symmetry-forbidden region at the band edges for 1, which results in long (μs) microwave conductivity lifetimes. We further describe a facile self-doping reaction in 2 through Br₂ loss at ambient conditions.

Halide double perovskites have recently been developed as less toxic analogs of the lead perovskite solar-cell absorbers APbX₃ (A = monovalent cation; X = Br or I). However, all known halide double perovskites have large bandgaps that afford weak visible-light absorption. The first halide double perovskite evaluated as an absorber, Cs₂AgBiBr₆ (1), has a bandgap of 1.95 eV. Here, we show that dilute alloying decreases 1's bandgap by ca. 0.5 eV. Importantly, time-resolved photoconductivity measurements reveal long-lived carriers with microsecond lifetimes in the alloyed material, which is very promising for photovoltaic applications. The alloyed perovskite described herein is the first double perovskite to show comparable bandgap energy and carrier lifetime to those of (CH₃NH₃)PbI₃. By describing how energy- and symmetry-matched impurity orbitals, at low concentrations, dramatically alter 1's band edges, we open a potential pathway for the large and diverse family of halide double perovskites to compete with APbX₃ absorbers.