Research Projects

This proposal is to investigate in a cohesive and systematic manner the structural growth of three new materials that have been recently grown in PI’s lab on their physical properties. Specifically, three new 1D and 2D hybrid perovskites are to be deposited on a variety of substrates and their structural profile will be evaluated using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and grazing incidence small and wide angle X-ray scattering. This latter aspect is crucial as the orientation of the unit cell with respect to the underlying substrate mitigates directly the electrical conductivity of the material and the eventual IV and EQE characteristics of the ensuing solar cell. As such, separately the optical and electrical properties will be measured of the same films and correlated with the structural order. This study is crucial as it will give us detailed insight and allow us to correlate the large macroscopic unit cell structure and how to control the deposition protocol to from a ‘correctly’ oriented thin film of the perovskite to achieve maximum thermal/temporal stability as well as high solar cell efficiency and EQE characteristics. Moreover, the three perovskites already formed will also simultaneously be refined in their stoichiometry. Synthesis, and optical/electrical properties will be measured in TIFR while structural profile measurements will be done in IIT Indore (or through external facilities which will be accessed by the Co-PI based in IIT Indore).