In recent years, halide perovskites (ABX₃, where A = organic or inorganic cation, B = divalent metal cation, X = halide) have revolutionized photovoltaic research.

Since the first demonstration of an efficient perovskite solar cell in 2009, power conversion efficiency has increased from less than 4 % to over 26 % in single-junction cells and over 33 % in silicon-based tandem architectures. This rapid progress is attributable to the exceptional optoelectronic properties of this material class: high light absorption, long charge-carrier diffusion lengths, low sensitivity to defects despite high defect densities, and simple, low-cost processing.

The central aim of current research is to develop new, stable, and environmentally benign perovskite materials that ensure long-term performance as solar cell absorbers while simultaneously overcoming existing limitations, particularly with regard to chemical stability, toxicity, and scalability.

At the Institute of Materials Science, the focus is on understanding dielectric effects in these materials and on advancing absorber fabrication using alternative organic molecules.