Why mixed halide perovskites give rise to more efficient solar cells is finally explained

Halide perovskite solar cells achieved tremendous attention due to their great potential for an energy generation. But while researchers have developed techniques for improving their material characteristics, nobody understood why these techniques worked. New research sheds light on the science behind these engineering solutions and paves the way for developing more efficient halide perovskite solar cells.

A team of researchers delved into a key phenomenon related to halide perovskite solar cell synthesis and processing. It involves the fact that adding cesium and rubidium into the synthesis process of mixed halide perovskite compounds makes the resulting solar cell more chemically homogeneous – which is desirable, since this makes the material’s characteristics more uniform throughout the cell. But until now, no one knew why.

To investigate the issue, the researchers used time-resolved, X-ray diagnostics to capture and track changes in the crystalline compounds formed throughout the synthesis process. The measurements were performed at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source. Full news coverage can be found on NCSU News outlet. This research is led by Prof. Amassian from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NCSU.