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Functional Materials and Energy Devices Group (FMED)
Core Device Capabilities
High-efficiency photovoltaics
Single-junction perovskite solar cells, tandems, and lead-free PV exceeding commercial stability limits
Indoor Pv & Iot Powering
Ultra-high efficiency indoor solar cells optimized for LED lighting to eliminate batteries in IoT sensors.
W Sensing & Emission Devices
Broadband photodetectors, LEDs, and indoor photodetectors with high responsivity and low noise.
Where the group is pushing devices forward
Author et al., Perovskite Solar Paper (Year)
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Author et al., Tandem PV Paper (Year)
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Author et al., Stability Paper (Year)
Author et al., Scale-up Paper (Year)
Perovskite Solar Cells & Multi-Junction Tandems
Research Scopea:
Developing p‑i‑n and n‑i‑p single-junction and perovskite-on-silicon/perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cells.
Focus & Applications:
Interfacial passivation, charge-selective layers (SAMs), reducing non-radiative recombination, and operational durability.
Indoor Photovoltaics & Energy Harvesting for IoT
Research Scope:
Tailoring bandgaps (1.7–1.9 eV) and device architectures to maximize power output under indoor light (100–1000 lux).
Focus & Applications:
Autonomous power sources for smart home sensors, wearables, and wireless IoT devices operating without battery replacement.
Author et al., Indoor PV Paper 1 (Year)
Journal Name DOI Link
Author et al., Indoor Energy Paper 2 (Year)
Journal Name DOI Link
Author et al., Low-Light Harvesting (Year)
Author et al., Lead-Free Device Paper (Year)
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Author et al., Eco Semiconductor (Year)
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Author et al., Bismuth Device Paper (Year)
Lead-Free & Eco-Friendly Optoelectronic Devices
Research Scope:
Fabricating non-toxic devices using bismuth, copper, or antimony halide absorbers for environmentally safe light energy conversion.
Focus & Applications:
Overcoming low mobility and defect states to achieve commercially viable lead-free PV and photodetectors for consumer electronics.
Advanced Photodetectors & Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Research Scope:
Developing high-detectivity broadband photodetectors (UV to NIR) and efficient light-emitting devices.
Focus & Applications:
Passivation of trap states to minimize dark current and enable ultra-sensitive optical sensing, imaging, and low-power displays.
Author et al., Photodetector Paper 1 (Year)
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Author et al., Perovskite LED Paper 2 (Year)
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Author et al., High Detectivity Sensing (Year)
Testing & Prototyping Infrastructure
EQE / IPCE Measurement
Class AAA Solar Simulators
Thermal Evaporator
Blade Coater
MPPT Stability Testing
Photodetector Bench
Solar Cells
Solar photovoltaic technology is one of the most promising solutions to minimizing our dependence on fossil fuel–based energy sources to meet net zero carbon emissions goals by 2050. Our focus is on development of thin film solar cells based on emerging advanced materials such as halide perovskites with power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 25% which is competitive with today’s commercial crystalline silicon systems (~26% PCE). Furthermore, halide perovskite offers a novel opportunity to enhance the PCE of the market-dominating PV technologies based on c-Si and CIGS via tandem solar cells. However, Pb-toxicity and their short-term stability in particular being sensitive to the processing at the ambient condition poses serious obstacles to the widespread of this technology. Our team focuses on resolving these obstacles to advance these technologies via various approaches such as defect passivation[1], additive engineering[2], compositional[3] and interface modifications[4] as well as developing new device architectures for single-junction[5], tandem[6] and indoor photovoltaics.
[1] Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi, et al., Samuel D. Stranks; “Maximising and Stabilising Luminescence in Metal Halide Perovskite Device”, Nature, 555, 497-501, (2018). [2] Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi, et al., Michael Grätzel, Richard H. Friend; “Impact of Monovalent Cation Halide Additives on the Structural and Optoelectronic Properties of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite” Adv. Energy Mater., 6, 1502472 (2016). [3] Baodan Zhao, Mojtaba Abdi‐Jalebi, et al., Aditya Sadhanala; “High Open-Circuit Voltages in Tin-Rich Low-Bandgap Perovskite-Based Planar Heterojunction Photovoltaics”, Adv. Mater., 29, 1604744, (2017). [4] Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi, et al., Michael Grätzel, Richard Friend; "Charge Extraction via Graded Doping of Hole Transport Layers Gives Highly Luminescent and Stable Metal Halide Perovskite Devices", Science Advances, Vol. 5, no. 2, eaav2012 (2019). [5] Narges Yaghoobi Nia, Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi*, et al. , Aldo Di Carlo, “Beyond 17% Stable Perovskite Solar Module via Polaron Arrangement of Tuned Polymeric Hole Transport Layer”, Nano Energy, Volume 82, 105685 (2021). [6] Alan R Bowman, Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi, et al., Samuel D Stranks, “Relaxed current matching requirements in highly luminescent perovskite tandem solar cells and their fundamental efficiency limits”, ACS Energy Lett., 6, 612–620, (2021).
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
Solid-state lighting and displays are becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives, finding their place in televisions, cell phones, high-powered lamps, and many common consumer appliances[1]. Our team focuses on the design, fabrication, and characterisation of emerging light-emitting devices such as halide perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs) that offer sharper electroluminescence peaks than conventional inorganic and organic counterparts, making the PeLEDs particularly appealing for ultrahigh definition display applications. We implement various approaches to maximise and stabilise the electroluminescence efficiency at various emissions across the entire visible spectrum with a goal to produce low-cost, high quality white lights and ultra-high-resolution displays based on PeLEDs[2,3]
[1] D. Di, Mojtaba Abdi-Jalebi, et al., D. Credgington; "High-performance light-emitting diodes based on carbene-metal-amides", Science, 356 (6334), pp. 159-163 (2017). [2] Zahra Andaji Garmaroudi, Mojtaba Abdi‐Jalebi, et al., Samuel D Stranks, “Elucidating and Mitigating Degradation Processes in Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes”, Adv. Energy Mater., 2002676 (2020). [3] Shuai Yuan, et al., Mojtaba Abdi‐Jalebi, Richard H Friend, “Efficient and Spectrally Stable Blue Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes Employing a Cationic π-Conjugated Polymer”, Adv. Mater., 33, 2103640 (2021).
Photodetectors, X-ray Sensing & Optical Communications
We design ultra-sensitive, high-bandwidth photodetectors and radiation sensors for advanced imaging, sensing, and dual-functional energy systems. Our research spans low-disorder, ambipolar thin films operating at low or zero bias for low-dose X-ray detection—enabling safer medical diagnostics, industrial inspection, and wearable electronics. Furthermore, we develop self-powered organic photodetectors (OPDs) with record bandwidths capable of simultaneously harvesting indoor/ambient energy and driving high-speed optical wireless communications (LiFi). By merging photon detection with energy autonomy, we pave the way for next-generation smart sensing networks and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.
[1] Laura Basiricò, et al., Mojtaba Abdi‐Jalebi, Beatrice Fraboni, Henning Sirringhaus, “Detection of X-Rays by Solution-Processed Cesium-Containing Mixed Triple Cation Perovskite Thin Films”, Advanced Functional Materials, 29, 1902346 (2019).