Krasnoyarsk scientists have modified a perovskite solar cell using a photonic crystal and a gold nanolattice. This increased the efficiency of the device by 35%. The results of the study are published in the journal Reports of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Physics, Engineering Sciences.

Perovskite solar cells are one of the most promising and rapidly developing technologies in the field of solar energy. Their name comes from the mineral perovskite (calcium titanate), which was first discovered in 1839 in the Urals. Modern perovskite solar cells are increasingly based on organometallic compounds based on methylammonium iodide and lead iodide. The main advantage of perovskite solar cells is their high efficiency at a relatively low cost of production. The efficiency of these elements has long exceeded 25%, which makes them competitive with traditional silicon solar panels. In addition, their production process can be simpler and cheaper. Perovskites can be applied to a surface using simple methods, such as continuous deposition from a solution.

Scientists from the Krasnoyarsk Science Center of SB RAS have assessed the efficiency of a perovskite solar cell modified with a photonic crystal and a gold nanolattice.

“Photonic crystals are media in which the refractive index changes in space with a period comparable to the wavelength of light. As a result, gaps are formed in the spectral composition of light waves passing through the crystal, which are called band gap. Their appearance means that in this spectral range, light cannot enter or exit the photonic crystal. Photonic crystals form the basis of nanophotonic devices, such as miniature lasers, photodetectors, and sensors. They are also actively used in solar cells," explains Dmitry Pykhtin, engineer at the Laboratory of Photonics of Molecular Systems at the L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics SB RAS.

Due to the high reflectivity within the band gap, almost 100% of the radiation falling on the photonic crystal is reflected and passes through the perovskite layer again. Adding a gold nanolattice to the structure of a solar cell allows us to excite a special state of light called Tamm plasmon-polariton.

"A Tamm plasmon-polariton is a state of light localized at the boundary of two reflecting media. In the proposed solar cell, a photonic crystal and a lattice of gold nanoribbons act as mirrors. The parameters of the structure were selected in such a way that all the radiation falling on it was absorbed in the photosensitive layer of perovskite, leading to an increase in the efficiency of converting solar energy into electrical energy,” explained Rashid Bikbaev, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical sciences, researcher at the L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics KSC SB RAS.

The material was prepared with the support of a grant from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science within the framework of the federal project “Popularization of Science and Technology.”