Young Investigator Group Perovskite-based Multi-Junction Solar Cells
Perovskite-based Multi-Junction Solar Cells
The Helmholtz Young Investigator Group (HIG) project will be based at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), within the cutting-edge HySprint Photovoltaics Laboratories. The project will harness the power of perovskite solar cell technology to advance multi-junction solar cells — an emerging field that has seen exciting recent breakthroughs but still faces critical challenges in materials and device optimization.
Our core objective is the fabrication of all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) exceeding 30% and long-term operational stability projected to last over five years. Going beyond state-of-the-art, the project will pioneer the development of bifacial and flexible triple-junction prototypes tailored for next-generation applications, including building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), IoT systems, smart cities, and space technologies.
While triple-junctions offer significantly higher theoretical efficiencies than tandems (51.8% vs. 45.9%), perovskite-based triple-junctions remain underexplored, with the current record PCE capped at 28.7%1. Moreover, no bifacial or flexible versions of these devices have yet been demonstrated.
The HIG project will first focus on engineering perovskite absorbers with tailored bandgaps, prioritizing long-term stability and minimizing voltage losses at interfaces. Building on these insights, we will then develop novel materials and deposition techniques aimed at optimizing light management, reducing resistive losses, and enabling the first working prototypes of bifacial and flexible all-perovskite triple-junction solar cells.
1 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08546-y