Phase Stability and Transformations in Lead Mixed Halide Perovskites from Machine Learning Force Fields

Abstract: Lead halide perovskites (APbX$_3$) offer tunable optoelectronic properties but feature an intricate phase-stability landscape. Here we employ on-the-fly data collection and an equivariant message-passing neural-network potential to perform large-scale molecular dynamics of three prototypical perovskite systems: CsPbX$_3$, MAPbX$_3$, and FAPbX$_3$. Integrating these simulations with the PDynA analysis toolkit, we resolve both equilibrium phase diagrams and dynamic structural evolution under varying temperature and halide-mixing conditions. Our findings reveal that the A-site cation strongly modulates octahedral tilt modes and phase pathways: MA$^+$ effectively "forbids" the beta-to-gamma transition in MAPbX$_3$ by requiring extensive molecular rearrangements and crystal rotation, whereas the debated low-temperature phase in FAPbX$_3$ is best represented as an Im$\bar{3}$ cubic phase with $a^+a^+a^+$ tilts. Additionally, small changes in halide composition and arrangement $\unicode{x2013}$ from uniform mixing to partial segregation $\unicode{x2013}$ alter tilt correlations. Segregated domains can even foster anomalous tilting modes that impede uniform phase transformations. These results highlight the multi-scale interplay between cation environment and halide distribution, offering a rational basis for tuning perovskite architectures toward improved phase stability.