Scientists discover semi-metallization and novel photoelectric behavior in lead iodide under high pressure

According to a study published in Advanced Optical Materials, Prof. Ding Junfeng and his team at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that the semiconductor lead iodide (PbI2) undergoes a transition to a semi-metallic state when subjected to pressure. This transition is accompanied by an improvement in photoelectric properties and an extension of the spectral response range into the infrared band.