Shahzada Ahmad joins BCMaterials

Shahzada Ahmad received an ERC Consolidator grant for his contributions in the field of Molecularly Engineered Materials and Processing for Perovskite solar cell technology (MOLEMAT). It is the most prestigious grant in Europe and he will now develop this ambitious project at Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures (BCMaterials).

The project deals with the development of the new generation of photovoltaic technology which is beyond silicon.

The project will kick off from November 2017 and includes a multidirectional approach utilizing materials science, chemistry, physics and device engineering. The project objectives will be complemented with active collaboration with world leading researchers. The project is focused on Organo halide perovskites are semiconducting pigments which not only show strong light absorption but also generate and transport charges under sunlight illumination, which can be collected at a cost competitive price. Recently, organic-inorganic halides based perovskite solar cells have achieved remarkable success in the research domain due to its extraordinary opto-electrical properties. Currently polycrystalline-silicon utilizes a ca 200-micron thick layer to reach a light to electricity efficiency of c.a 22 % but a 300 nm thin perovskites can generate a similar efficiency. The active thickness of a device on a mechanical support is less than a micron, thus not visible form naked eye and also consume extremely low amount of materials making it cost effective. Such an unprecedented breakthrough was never witnessed before in any type of photovoltaic technology.

The developed photovoltaic technology will be prototyped and tested in a laboratory and outdoor environment. The combination of multidirectional approach is a fundamental aspect to achieve the project objectives.