Publication Date:
2017-03-25
Description:
The most notable scientific milestone in photovoltaics in the past several years is the emergence of solar cells based on hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials. While conventional silicon and thin-film solar cells have seen steady improvements in their power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) spanning several decades, hybrid perovskite solar cells have already reached a certified 22.1% PCE (1), matching conventional solar cell technologies in only a few years since their first device architecture was tested. Setting the stage for a disruptive technology in the field of photovoltaics is the seemingly winning combination of properties of hybrid perovskite materials: high absorption coefficient and a tunable energy band gap in wavelengths ideal for solar cells; long diffusion lengths and lifetimes for photogenerated charge carriers, which easily dissociate into efficiently collected electrons and holes; Earth-abundant elemental composition; and their compatibility with low-cost and low-temperature fabrication methods (2–5). On page 1288 of this issue, Blancon et al. (6) report on the observation of an enhanced photoresponse for layered perovskite materials. The results add, literally, a new dimension to the further development of high-performance perovskite solar cells. Authors: Osman M. Bakr, Omar F. Mohammed
Keywords:
Applied Physics
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
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Chemistry and Pharmacology
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Geosciences
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Computer Science
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Medicine
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Natural Sciences in General
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Physics
