PhD position for perovskite and silicon-perovksite tandem solar cell

• Join a world-class photovoltaics research group
• Contribute to the development of the next generation of solar cells
• Opportunities for industry engagement and international collaboration

College overview

‍The Australian National University (ANU) College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics (CECC) is a vibrant and diverse community of more than three thousand students, staff, and visitors. Our College is comprised of three schools: the School of Engineering, the School of Computing, and the School of Cybernetics, supported by the Professional Services Group. We aim to bring together expertise in social, technical, ecological and scientific systems to build a new approach. In the College, we draw on our disciplinary foundations to find and solve problems of global importance. Our people build on our traditional world-class expertise and take it in creative, unconventional directions. Through the Reimagine investment, we have the privilege and the responsibility to build a new legacy for the University, the country, and even the world. We will deliver on our mission by building a strong community, providing transformative educational experiences, conducting high-impact research, seeking meaningful engagement, and becoming a resilient organisation post COVID-19. Join us in shaping a new intellectual agenda to reimagine engineering, computing, and the use of technology in the world.

‍The School of Engineering brings together a diverse and welcoming community that is motivated to seek “wicked problems”. We connect divergent thinkers, to explore and pose solutions, that cross the traditional interdisciplinary and global boundaries. We have evolved from our foundational strength in systems thinking, reaching beyond traditional engineering fields. This systems approach embraces our core strengths and is shaped around four focus areas: Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechatronics. Join us in our fundamental quest of discovery and passionate pursuit of knowledge that goes beyond our lived world.

Position overview

A PhD scholarship is being offered for this student project on the perovskite solar cells, and perovskite-tandem solar cells, under the supervision of Professor Klaus Weber and Dr. Heping Shen. This position will involve collaboration with other research institutes and industry partners, and are supported through projects funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

‍The applications are open to domestic and international students. Applicants must hold a first class Honours degree or Master's degree in engineering, chemistry, physics or related field, and/or have relevant research experience.

‍To express interest in applying, please send a 1-page cover letter and CV (including results for relevant degrees) to Dr. Heping Shen (heping.shen@anu.edu.au) and Prof. Klaus Weber (klaus.weber@anu.edu.au) by 28 Feburary 2023.

The scholarship has the same stipend and other conditions as standard ANU PhD scholarship, but is available for commencement as soon as possible in 2023.

‍Background literature:

2023

• Stability challenges for the commercialization of perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells, Leiping Duan, et al. Nature Review Materials (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-022-00521-1 Bulk
• Incorporation with 4-Methylphenethylammonium Chloride for Efficient and Stable Methylammonium-Free Perovskite and Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells, The Duong, et al. Advanced Energy Materials 2023, 223607

2022

• Centimetre-scale Perovskite Solar Cells with Fill Factors of More than 86 Per cent, Jun Peng, et al. Nature 2022, 573-578.
• Performance limitations imposed by the TCO heterojunction in high efficiency perovskite solar cells, Daniel Walter, et al. Energy & Environmental Science 2022, 5202 - 5216.
• LiI Doping of Mixed-cation Mixed-halide Perovskite Solar Cells: Defect Passivation, Controlled Crystallization and Transient Ionic Response, Grace Tabi, et al. Materials Today Physics 2022, 100822.
• 27.6% Perovskite/c‐Si Tandem Solar Cells Using Industrial Fabricated TOPCon Device, Yiliang Wu, et al. Advanced Energy Materials 2022, 2200821.
• Above 23% Efficiency by Binary Surface Passivation of Perovskite Solar Cells using Guanidinium and Octylammonium Spacer Cations, Naeimeh Mozaffari, et al. Solar RRL, 2022, 6, 2200355.
• Unraveling the Role of Energy Band Alignment and Mobile Ions on Interfacial Recombination in Perovskite Solar Cells, Naeimeh Mozaffari, et al. Solar RRL, 2022, 3, 2101087.

2021

• Nanoscale localized contacts for high fill factors in polymer-passivated perovskite solar cells, Peng, Jun, et al. Science 2021, 390-395. Combined Bulk and Surface Passivation in Dimensionally Engineered 2D-3D Perovskite Films via Chlorine Diffusion, Mahmud, Arafat, et al. Advanced Functional Materials,2021,2104251.  Contactless and Spatially-Resolved Determination of Current‐Voltage Curves in Perovskite Solar Cells via Photoluminescence, Bui, Anh, et al. Solar RRL. 2021, 5, 2100348. Origin of Efficiency and Stability Enhancement in High-Performing Mixed Dimensional 2D-3D Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review, Mahmud, Arafat, et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 2021, 2009164. Anion Exchange Induced Crystal Engineering via Hot Pressing Sublimation Affords Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells, Ding, Bin, et al. Solar RRL. 2021,5, 2000729. A bottom‐up cost analysis of silicon–perovskite tandem photovoltaics, Nathan L Chang, Kylie Catchpole, Anita Ho‐Baillie, et al. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 2021,29,401

2020

• In Situ Formation of Mixed‐Dimensional Surface Passivation Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells with Dual-Isomer Alkylammonium Cations, Mahmud, Md Arafat, et al., Small (2020): 2005022.
• Efficient Passivation and Low Resistivity for p+-Si/TiO2 Contact by Atomic Layer Deposition, Mozaffari, Naeimeh, et al., ACS Applied Energy Materials (2020): 6291-6301.
• Monolithic perovskite/Si tandem solar cells: pathways to over 30% efficiency, Shen, Heping, et al., Advanced Energy Materials  (2020): 1902840.
• High Efficiency Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cells: Effect of Surface Coating versus Bulk Incorporation of 2D Perovskite, Duong, The, et al., Advanced Energy Materials (2020): 1903553.
• Double-Sided Surface Passivation of 3D Perovskite Film for High-Efficiency Mixed-Dimensional Perovskite Solar Cells, Mahmud, Md Arafat, et al., Advanced Functional Materials (2020): 1907962.
• Spatially and spectrally resolved absorptivity: new approach for degradation studies in perovskite and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, Nguyen, Hieu T., et al., Advanced Energy Materials 10.4 (2020): 1902901.