Ivan Shmarov

• BSc (Hons) Physics
• Discerning the origin of the abnormally high efficiency in Perovskite solar cells

Sunlight is a clean, renewable source of energy that is extremely important at this moment in time, as climate change is occurring, demand for energy is rising and non-renewable energy resources are running out. However, it can be expensive to manufacture high efficiency solar panels that can tackle this problem. Recently, a new type of material called “perovskite” has been introduced that can be used to make solar cells with unusually high efficiency. Here, the most intriguing parameter is the device’s “open circuit voltage”, which is higher than predicted and unexpectedly close to the theoretical limit. My project was focused on investigating this unusual effect by designing and prototyping a set of instruments that allow convenient electrical measurements at very cold (cryogenic) temperatures to understand its fundamental principle, and by acquiring an initial set of data. Analysis of the data revealed a correlation between temperature and the mechanisms that define the “open circuit voltage”, such as “ion migration”.

Funded by: Newcastle University

Project Supervisor: Pablo Docampo