Will optimize energy-capturing materials for solar cells

Researchers now have such good knowledge of matter’s interior that they can use computers to simulate the properties of a material. Wallenberg Academy Fellow Julia Wiktor will utilize this to better understand interactions between energized electrons and atoms in materials for solar cells. The aim is to optimize materials so they can better convert solar energy into electricity.  

When solar radiation hits the material that captures energy in solar cells, electrons absorb energy from the light. Once they are energized, they become mobile and can move through the material, like a current. In some materials, however, these electrons begin to interact with the surrounding atomic nuclei, forming a complex called a polaron. Depending on the polaron’s properties, this can be beneficial or detrimental to the solar cell’s ability to convert solar energy into electricity. 

Researchers have long known that polarons are formed in solar cells, but this was mostly regarded as an oddity. Dr Julia Wiktor at Chalmers University of Technology will now systematically investigate the importance of polarons in how solar cells function. Using computer models of the interior of matter, she will simulate how polarons form in different materials. She will study the whole process in a solar cell: from a light particle hitting the energy-absorbing material to when voltage is created in the grid. The aim is to learn enough about polarons to utilize their positive sides in optimizing the energy-capturing materials in solar cells. 

Photo Patrik Lundin