High-efficiency perovskite tandem solar cells

The drive towards Net-Zero has led to a growing need for the development of renewable energy harvesting/storage technologies with photovoltaics being expected to play a key role. Silicon remains the most viable semiconductor for commercial photovoltaic systems. However, as a technology that is reaching its limits, there is a need for technologies that can exceed the efficiency limits of silicon solar cells whilst reducing associated costs.

Metal halide perovskites are an exciting class of materials that has shown the fastest growth among photovoltaic materials studied to date. Metal halide perovskites show several beneficial properties including bandgap tunability and efficiencies approaching that of silicon single-junction solar cells. At the ATI, in-line with our internal roadmap towards developing high-efficiency photovoltaic device architectures and in particular, tandem solar cells, we have been working towards developing lossless electronic contacts and improving our fundamental understanding on poor reproducibility of perovskite solar cells, and developing routes towards improving these key challenges.   

We are looking for a highly motivated, self-funded candidate who will work on developing perovskite-based tandem solar cells based on our unique expertise of processing wide and narrow bandgap perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells. The key tasks for this project will involve:

• Optimisation of the device stack for perovskite/perovskite and/or perovskite/organic tandem architectures by leading the processing activities
• Device characterisation, optical simulation and loss analysis based on our in-house optical, microstructural and electrical characterisation facilities
• Coordinate and lead the experimental work with the support of the academic supervisory team, and coordinate research activities with our external collaborators (e.g. Imperial College London, National Physical Laboratory).

Publication of results in peer-reviewed journals and presentation of results at local and international conferences.

The project is due to start in January 20243, but later start dates are possible.

Open to self-funded, UK nationals only. You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our PhD programme.

The successful candidate will Meet the minimum entry requirement of 1st class honours degree or Master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering, physics, chemistry, materials engineering or a related field.

Additionally, the following are preferred:

• Enthusiasm towards renewable energy technologies and in particular, photovoltaics
• Sound background in semiconductor physics
• Hands-on experience in perovskite solar cell fabrication
• Excellent analytical, communication and organisational skills.

Research areas

Nanoelectronics centre.