Supersensitive visual pressure sensor based on the exciton luminescence of a perovskite material

Abstract

Accurate, rapid, and remote detection of pressure, one of the fundamental physical parameters, is vital for scientific, industrial, and daily life purposes. However, due to the limited sensitivity of luminescent manometers, the optical pressure monitoring has been applied mainly in scientific studies. Here, we developed the first supersensitive optical pressure sensor based on the exciton-type luminescence of the Bi³⁺-doped, double perovskite material Cs₂Ag_0.6Na_0.4InCl₆. The designed luminescent manometer exhibits an extremely high sensitivity, i.e. dλ/dp = 112 nm GPa⁻¹. It also allows multi-parameter sensing, using both blue-shift and rarely observed band narrowing with pressure. Importantly, this material has small temperature dependence for the manometric parameter used, i.e. spectral shift, allowing detection under extreme pressure and temperature conditions. The developed sensor operates in the visible range, and its emission shifts from orange to blue with pressure. This approach allowed us to demonstrate the real-world application of this sensor in detecting small changes in pressure with a designed uniaxial pressure device, with unprecedented resolution of the order of a few bars, demonstrating the technological potential of this sensor for remote, online monitoring of cracks and strains in heavy construction facilities.