Photovoltaic research within the energy initiative is carried out across a number of departments and research groups at the University of Cambridge.
Research in photovoltaics includes:
- The physics of charge photogeneration, separation and collection from organic heterojunction solar cells, hybrid perovskite solar cells and solution-processed inorganic solar cells
- Plasmonically enhanced solar cells, incorporate metal nanostructure with electromagnetic properties to improve all 3rd generation photovoltaics.
- Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) use dye structure and nanoscale component properties to improve solar cell efficiency.
- Research to improve; efficient silicon production and solar cell design.
- Investigation of nanostructured hybrid solar cells (non-silicon, all-oxide and oxide/organic hybrids) and, particularly CNT polymer solar cells for mobile applications.
- Research of semi-transparent solar cells for windows includes low-cost fabrication on plastic substrates.
- Algae as an energy source in biophotovoltaic panels.
- Bi compound alternatives to Pb-based perovksites.
- oxides in solar cells.
We collaborate with industrial partners and are also actively involved in increasing both energy awareness and public understanding of the opportunities and challenges in photovoltaics.
Please visit individual faculty profiles to learn more about their research in the Photovoltaics theme. The lead for Photovoltaics is Professor Judith Driscoll.
People specializing in this area
Principal Investigators
Materials and technologies for electrical energy and power.
Constructing nano-materials with unusual interactions with light, especially ones that can be fabricated on a large scale which can lead to practical use.
Functional Inorganic and Hybrid Materials
We work in the general area of materials chemistry. Our expertise lies in the synthesis of novel phases, their chemical and structural characterization, and the study of their properties.
The design and functionalisation of new materials for optoelectronic applications
Magnetic solar cells
Understanding factors responsible for solar photovoltaics improvements over the past 4 decades, and what the future of different types of technologies may be depending on policy and other factors.
Biological and Soft Systems, and focusses on using the ideas of soft matter physics to study a wide range of systems of both synthetic and biological origin
Materials science of complex functional materials and nanostructures.
Design of spectral converters which can be used to "shape" the solar spectrum so that it can be harvested more effectively by solar cells.
Research is focused on the development of biophotovoltaic technologies, with the capability generating chemical products in parallel with an electrical current.
1. Direct reduction of high purity silicon to silicon which can either be directly used or electrorefined to photovoltaic grade silicon.
2. Creating nanoparticles of silicon on the surface of silicon wafers in order to increase the efficiency of light utilisation.
Current research interests include the electronic properties and device physics of light-emitting diodes and solar cells made with organic semiconductors.
Conjugated polymers: Fabrication and characterisation of polymer light-emitting diodes and solar cells. Physics of injection, transport, recombination and emission in polymer devices. Optical properties of organic semiconductor devices. Optical probing of excited states in conjugated polymers.
Modifying the components of photosynthetic membranes that harvest and utilize light energy, with a view to improving their efficiency.
My research is broad and covers three main areas: gallium nitride materials and devices; advanced electron microscopy; and high-temperature aerospace materials.
Semiconductor nanowires (diameter 10 - 100 nm and lengths well over 1 micron
Semi-transparent PV
Energy harvesting
My research focuses on the characterization and exploitation of nanoscale structures in GaN-based materials. The broad aim of my work is to achieve improved performance in GaN-based optoelectronic devices and to develop and implement novel device concepts.
Device physics and low-temperature, solution-based manufacturing of thin film electronic and photovoltaic devices
Our research focuses on the optical and electronic properties of emerging solar absorbers with a particular emphasis on metal halide perovskites. We use spectroscopy as a tool to understand material and device photophysics on a range of length and time scales, and relate these characteristics directly to local chemical, structural and morphological properties.
A number of aspects of nanotechnology ranging from sensors for medical applications to understanding and controlling the properties of nanoscale structures and devices.
Graduate Students
Current research focuses on studying the charge dynamics in organic solar cells using ultrafast spectroscopic methods.