Multiple Exciton Generation in Nanoparticle Solar Cells
Heather Goodwin, University of Cambridge
Solar cells based on single semiconductors as the active layer are typically restricted in efficiency by the Shockley-Queisser limit, since ...... (read more)
Anti-soiling coatings for Solar modules
Adam Law, University of Loughborough
Soiling of the cover glass on solar modules is a serious problem. Global reports show that soiling can reduce power ...... (read more)
Mesoscale model for hybrid solar cells employing sulfides and perovskite structure materials
James Cave, University of Bath
Nano-texturing of multicrystalline silicon
Jack James Tyson, University of Southampton
Crystalline silicon is currently the dominant photovoltaics technology, accounting for over 90% of the global PV market. Of this, multicrystalline ...... (read more)
1) Perovskite photovoltaic devices 2) Back Contact PSCs
Mike Stringer, University of Sheffield
1) A focus on new perovskite precursors, charge transport layers and encapsulations methods to simultaneously improve efficiency and stability of ...... (read more)
New heterostructures for perovskite solar cells and investigation of the stability of methylammonium lead iodide layers
Silvia Mariotti, University of Liverpool
The project is to establish the band line ups for perovskite materials in combination with II-VI semiconductors and transparent conducting ...... (read more)
Charge separation at perovskite/singlet fission material interfaces
Alan Bowman, University of Cambridge
As solar cells continue to improve, their efficiencies will approach the Shockley-Queisser limit of 33%. To overcome this limit, multiple ...... (read more)
The microstructure and electrical properties of grain boundaries in polycrystalline thin film photovoltaic devices
Vladislav Kornienko, University of Loughborough
Recombination of charge carriers occurring at defects and grain boundaries (GBs) are detrimental to the electrical performance of thin film ...... (read more)
Ultrathin hybrid photovoltaics
Giacomo Piana, University of Southampton
Long-range energy transfer in singlet fission materials
David Bossanyi, University of Sheffield
Despite their early promise and intrinsic sustainability (low embodied energy, efficient use of abundant and non-toxic materials), organic photovoltaics still ...... (read more)
Perovskite Solar Cells
Olivia Ashton, University of Oxford
This project will focus on research associated with perovskite solar cells. The main aim will be to create a perovskite ...... (read more)
Mesoscale model of charge transport in 2D Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite solar cells
Lewis Irvine, University of Bath
3D organic-inorganic perovskites are promising since the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells made from these materials have gone ...... (read more)
Combined optical and electrical characterisation of minority carrier lifetime in solar cells
Vincent Tsai, University of Loughborough
Microstructure and functionality in thin film solar cells from sustainable materials
Peter Yates, University of Liverpool
The project is to use state of the art electron microscopy alongside the synthesis effort in order to accelerate the ...... (read more)
Characterizing the nanoscale morphology of Organic Metal Halide photovoltaic materials
Konstantinos Tsevas, University of Sheffield
In this project, the student will investigate the influence of processing conditions on the micro- and nano-structure of the perovskite ...... (read more)
Pushing to 20% efficient solution grown CIGS thin film solar cells
Liam Welch, University of Loughborough
Successful deposition of thin film solar cells, such as CdTe and CIGS, have historically been limited to devices grown using ...... (read more)
Novel low-cost and abundant absorber layers for thin film solar cells
Samuel Beddoe, University of Southampton
There is overwhelming evidence that our increasing consumption of fossil fuels and the associated emission of carbon dioxide is leading ...... (read more)
Doping strategies for next generation CdTe solar cells
Kerrie Morris, University of Loughborough
Over the last 6 years, CdTe photovoltaics (PV) have enjoyed a steady performance improvement after remaining relatively stagnant for the ...... (read more)
Vapour Deposition of Perovskite Solar Cells
Juliane Borchert, University of Oxford
Increasing world needs for electrical power have intensified research into materials suitable for cheap and efficient solar cells. To the ...... (read more)
Micro-structural defects in thin film photovoltaic devices
Thomas Fiducia, University of Loughborough
The efficiency of thin-film PV is limited by atomic-scale defects in the material (grain boundaries, planar defects, point defects etc). ...... (read more)
Graphene and carbon nanotube based PV electrodes
Bernd Sturdza, University of Oxford
Both graphene and carbon nanotubes have very high electrical conductivities and mechanical strength, which makes them ideally suited for use ...... (read more)
Stability of Hybrid Perovskites for Tandem Solar Cells
Leonardo Buizza, University of Oxford
Hybrid metal halide perovskites have emerged as an important new class of materials for photovoltaics. Their integration in tandem with ...... (read more)
Hybrid semiconductor nanocrystals/perovskite solar cells
Christopher Bailey, University of Southampton
The rapid rise in efficiency of thin-film solar cells using organometal halide perovskite semiconductors has made this class of photovoltaic ...... (read more)
Modelling Ion Motion and Hysteresis in Perovskites
Laurence Bennett, University of Southampton
Organolead halide perovskite solar cells have shown dramatic increases in efficiency to around 20% since their inception in 2012. Nevertheless ...... (read more)
Investigating Alternative Transparent Electrodes for Photovoltaic Devices
Francesco Bastianini, University of Sheffield
In this project, the student will investigate the use of various composites of conducting polymer materials and metallic nanoparticles to ...... (read more)
Modelling charge transport in perovskite solar cells
Nicola Courtier, University of Southampton
Spin-blocked Recombination in Organic Photovoltaics
Daniel Sowood, University of Cambridge
The technology of plastic electronics unlocks new ways to use solar energy, not only by supplementing and replacing conventional silicon ...... (read more)
Doped binary oxides for enhanced performance solar cells
Lana Lee, University of Cambridge
Understanding degradation mechanisms in perovskite based PV devices
Claire Greenland, University of Sheffield
Stability of performance is probably the most critical factor in determining the potential for commercialisation of a new PV technology. ...... (read more)
Mesoscale simulations of polymer based organic photovoltaics, OPV
Alexander Smith, University of Bath
While the focus on energy level tuning in OPV materials has afforded large gains in device performance, strategies based on ...... (read more)
An in-situ SEM study of hybrid perovskite materials during annealing and under applied bias
Adam Urwick, University of Sheffield
The next generation of thin film solution processed perovskite photovoltaic devices could potentially reduce the financial and energy cost associated ...... (read more)
Hot-carrier harvesting in hybrid metal halide perovskites for solar cells
Alexander Knight, University of Oxford
Photovoltaic cells incorporating hybrid organic inorganic metal halide perovskites have seen a phenomenally rapid improvement over the past 5 years, ...... (read more)
New design features in lightweight and low-cost inverted CdTe solar cells
Tom Baines, University of Liverpool
Thin film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells have now achieved >20% efficiency and are the market leading thin film PV ...... (read more)
Photovoltaics to Power the Internet of Things
Darcy Unson, University of Cambridge
It is hard for any new photovoltaic (PV) technology to beat silicon in bulk power generation, but there are many ...... (read more)
Evaluating new polymeric materials for photovoltaic devices
Ben Freestone, University of Sheffield
Pyrolysis of solution-processed CZTS for upscale
Lewis Wright, University of Loughborough
Current methods for making solar panels are either expensive, slow, energy intensive, toxic, or every combination of all four. Lewis' ...... (read more)
Band alignment optimisation for enhanced inorganic thin film photovoltaics
Matthew Smiles, University of Liverpool
Semiconductor thin films are the basis of the lowest cost per Watt solar cells. While these technologies are well established, ...... (read more)
Investigation of non-standard materials and materials deposition method for hybrid perovskite solar cells
Peter Kubiak, University of Bath
Inverted designs for CdTe solar cells
Luke Thomas, University of Liverpool
Polycrystalline thin-film CdTe solar cells are a mass-market product, have now achieved >22% solar conversion efficiency and are the lowest ...... (read more)
Encapsulation technologies for thin-film photovoltaic devices
Joel Smith, University of Sheffield
This project will develop a range of encapsulation materials and techniques for both polymer:fullerene and perovskite PV devices. A range ...... (read more)
Simple Scalable Superstrate Cells wtih Good Thermal Stability and High Voc.
Kaya Davies Brechley, University of Bath
The project will focus on the development, optimisation and characterisation of printed/solution processed solar cells with carbon contacts. We will ...... (read more)
Fullerene-free photovoltaic devices
Emma Spooner, University of Sheffield
Non-fullerene acceptors have recently been used in polymer-blend photovoltaic devices to achieve power conversion efficiencies that now exceed 12%. In ...... (read more)
Perovskite heterojunctions by vapour deposition
Kilian Lohmann, University of Oxford
Metal halide perovskite materials have emerged over the past few years as a particularly promising PV technology, with power conversation ...... (read more)
Improved efficiency of thin film Photovoltaic devices
Rachael Greenhalgh, University of Loughborough
Collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in the United States has shown ...... (read more)
Hotwire Chemical Vapour Deposition of Boron Doped Epitaxial Silicon for Interdigitated Back Contact Solar Cells
Edris Khorani, University of Southampton
Silicon solar cells remain the dominant technology in the photovoltaic market. The interdigitated back contact (IBC) design is a well-established ...... (read more)
Photophysics of organometal halide perovskite materials for next-generation solar cells
Elizabeth Parrott, University of Oxford
Increasing world needs for electrical power have intensified research into materials suitable for cheap and efficient solar cells. Solution-processed semiconductors ...... (read more)
Band gap tuning of metal halide perovskites for multi-junction all perovskite solar cells
Jonathan Warby, University of Oxford
ABX3 perovskite solar cells, where A is methyl ammonium, formamidinium or Cs, B is Pb or Sn and X is ...... (read more)
Multi-Scale Simulations of Point and Extended Defects in Thin-Film Solar Cells
Lucy Whalley, University of Bath
A general problem with developing new materials for photovoltaics is that while a bulk material may appear to fulfil the ...... (read more)
Breaking the Voltage Barrier for CdTe Solar Cells
Thomas Shalvey, University of Liverpool
Polycrystalline CdTe solar cells are a mass market product and have now achieved >21% efficiency, having being limited to <16.7% ...... (read more)
Understanding the role of dielectric permittivity in charge transfer in organic materials
Josh Macdonald, University of Bath
Poor performance in organic photovoltaics has often been accredited to the low dielectric function (< 5) of organic materials impacting ...... (read more)
Spray-coating perovskite PV devices over curved substrates
Elena Cassella, University of Sheffield
Conventional PV cells based on the ubiquitous semiconductor crystalline-silicon most often come in the form of flat, rigid and relatively ...... (read more)
Transparent conducting oxide glass coatings for photovoltaics
Jack Swallow, University of Liverpool
Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are remarkable semiconductor materials that, as their name suggests, combine transparency with electrical conductivity, two normally ...... (read more)
Identifying key deep level defects in thin film solar cells
Jacob Leaver, University of Liverpool
Thin film solar cells are a 2nd generation photovoltaic technology capable of producing equivalent performance to standard silicon based solar ...... (read more)
New back contacts for thin film CdTe solar cells
Christos Potamialis, University of Loughborough
Upscaling Vapour Deposited Perovskite Solar Cells
Elisabeth Duijnstee, University of Oxford
Metal halide Perovskite solar cells have emerged as promising semiconductor devices for next generation photovoltaics. Remarkably, the power conversion efficiency ...... (read more)
Singlet Exciton Fission based Luminescent Solar Concentrators
Tomi Baikie, University of Cambridge
Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) comprise a transparent plastic film doped with luminophores that absorb and remit light. The light is ...... (read more)
Combinatorial TCO physics and optimization for photovoltaics
Thomas Featherstone, University of Liverpool
Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) are common to almost all current and emerging solar cell technologies and there is still a ...... (read more)
Carbon based electrode technologies for novel solar cells
Giulio Mazzotta, University of Oxford
Over recent years several innovations have been introduced in order to move from a conventional silicon based photovoltaics to new ...... (read more)
Understanding the Role of the Electron Selective Contact in Perovskite Solar Cells
Matthew Pilot, University of Bath
Perovskite solar cells (PSC) have generated excitement in the field of emerging photovoltaics due to their high efficiencies, easy manufacturability ...... (read more)
Recombination in solution-processed photovoltaics studied by magnetic field effects
Edward Booker, University of Cambridge
Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) Architectures for Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells
Haralds Abolins, University of Cambridge