- Letter
Phonon-assisted radiative lifetimes and exciton dynamics from first principles
Phys. Rev. B 112, L161111 – Published 8 October, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rycn-k95w
Abstract
Exciton-phonon interactions play a fundamental role in phonon-assisted radiative recombination and exciton dynamics in solids. In this work, we present a first-principles framework for computing phonon-assisted radiative lifetimes and exciton dynamics at finite temperatures. Starting from the solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation, we construct an effective excitonic Hamiltonian that incorporates both exciton-photon and exciton-phonon interactions. Phonon-assisted radiative lifetimes in anisotropic media are evaluated using time-dependent second-order perturbation theory. We further analyze the temperature and phonon-mode dependence of phonon-assisted radiative lifetime and compare our results with available experimental data. We explain the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the phonon-assisted radiative lifetime by different mechanisms at low- and high-temperature regimes. Finally, we perform real-time exciton relaxation at the diagonal approximation of Lindbladian dynamics for time-resolved exciton occupation, providing insights into ultrafast thermalization and scattering pathways. Our ab initio theory offers a detailed microscopic understanding of phonon-mediated exciton relaxation and recombination processes and provides in-depth perspectives on phonon-assisted many-body interactions and their influence on optical properties for light-emitting and optoelectronic applications.
