Scientists make unbelievable breakthrough to harness the power of the sun: ‘Astonishingly efficient’

A pair of scientists could help transform everyday life by helping produce more efficient and cheaper solar panels.

University of Missouri physics professors Suchi Guha and Gavin King examined halide perovskites at the nanoscale, according to a news release. The “unique structure of ultra-thin crystals” is “astonishingly efficient at converting sunlight into energy.”

“Halide perovskites are being hailed as the semiconductors of the 21st century,” Guha said. “Over the past six years, my lab has concentrated on optimizing these materials as a sustainable source for the next generation of optoelectronic devices.”

Optoelectronic devices transform light energy into electrical energy or electrical energy into light energy. Basically, they’re gadgets that use light, and applications range from telecommunications to medical equipment, per Geeks for Geeks.

Guha and King created the halide perovskites via chemical vapor deposition. Guha’s team used ultrafast laser spectroscopy to study their fundamental optical properties, and King’s group used ice lithography — or a “nanometer-scale chisel,” as he called it — to fabricate patterns and “produce devices with distinct properties and functionalities,” he said.

Perovskites are the basis of research around the world as governments and companies look to speed up the green energy transition, which hopes to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases produced by the burning of dirty fuels for energy. That pollution harms human health, natural biodiversity, and the planet itself, causing weather whiplash and other phenomena associated with the rising global temperature.

In Germany, scientists are developing tandem perovskite solar cells that are 31.6% efficient. To improve on halide perovskites, others are working with more durable and nontoxic materials that can attain 38% efficiency, which is the upper reaches of the technology.

This duo agreed that working together brought out the best in each of them and their teams.

“Everyone brings a unique perspective, which is what makes it work,” King said. “If we were all trained the same way, we’d all think the same, and that wouldn’t allow us to accomplish as much as we can here together.”

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