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Absorption of light in superconducting electronics is a major limitation on the quality of circuit architectures that integrate optical components with superconducting components. A 10 nm thick film of a typical superconducting material like niobium can absorb over half of any incident optical radiation. We propose instead using superconductors which are transparent to the wavelengths used elsewhere in the system. In this paper we investigated reduced indium tin oxide (ITO) as a potential transparent superconductor for electronics. We fabricated and characterized superconducting wires of reduced indium tin oxide. We also showed that a $\SI{10}{nm}$ thick film of the material would only absorb about 1 - 20\% of light between 500 - 1700 nm., 11 pages + 10 pages appendix, 5 figures + 5 figures appendix, submitting to IOP SUST

We explore the dynamic interaction of charge carriers between band-edge states and sub-band trap states in PbS quantum dot (QD) solids using time-resolved spectroscopy. In monodisperse arrays of 4- to 5-nm diameter PbS QDs, we observe an optically active trap state ∼100–200 meV below the band edge that occurs at a frequency of 1 in ∼2,500 QDs. Uncoupled QD solids with oleic acid ligands show trap-to-ground-state recombination that resembles Auger recombination. In electronically coupled QD solids, we observe entropically driven uphill thermalization of trapped charge carriers from the trap state to the band edge via two distinct mechanisms: Auger-assisted charge transfer (∼35 ps) and thermally activated hopping (∼500 ps). Photophysical characterization combined with atomistic simulations and high-resolution electron microscopy suggest that these states arise from epitaxially fused pairs of QDs rather than electron or hole traps at the QD surface, offering new strategies for improving the optoelectronic performance of QD materials., Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Awards DE-SC0010538,DE-SC0019345), National Science Foundation (Awards 1452857 and 1122374)

Intensive research of hybrid metal-halide perovskite materials for use as photoactive materials has resulted in an unmatched increase in the power conversion efficiency of perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) over the last couple of years. Now that lab-fabricated perovskite devices rival the efficiency of silicon PVs, the next challenge of scalable mass manufacturing of large perovskite PV panels remains to be solved. For that purpose, it is still unclear which manufacturing method will provide the lowest processing cost and highest quality solar cells. Vapor deposition has been proven to work well for perovskites as a controllable and repeatable thin-film deposition technique but with processing speeds currently too slow to adequately lower the production costs. Addressing this challenge, in the present work, we demonstrate a high-speed vapor transport processing technique in a custom-built reactor that produces high-quality perovskite films with unprecedented deposition speed exceeding 1 nm/s, over 10× faster than previous vapor deposition demonstrations. We show that the semiconducting perovskite films produced with this method have excellent crystallinity and optoelectronic properties with 10 ns charge carrier lifetime, enabling us to fabricate the first photovoltaic devices made by perovskite vapor transport deposition. Our experiments are guided by computational fluid dynamics simulations that also predict that this technique could lead to deposition rates on the order of micrometers per second. This, in turn, could enable cost-effective scalable manufacturing of the perovskite-based solar technologies. Keywords: solar cells; perovskite; thin-film; vapor deposition; manufacturing; fluid dynamics, National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award 1541959), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 1605406)

The demonstration of photovoltaic devices with high power conversion efficiencies using low cost perovskite materials hints at the possibility of dramatically lowering the cost of solar energy. Key to further exploiting the potential of these materials is developing rapid processing techniques that can be used to deliver lower cost high throughput manufacture. This work details the development of low viscosity rapid drying perovskite formulations designed to give high quality solar films when slot-die coated on flexible roll-to-roll compatible substrates. A single step slot-die compatible perovskite ink based on an acetonitrile/methylamine solvent system utilizing a chloride additive is developed, resulting in large area perovskite films from slot-die coating under ambient conditions. The drying conditions for the perovskite film are optimized and fast (

International audience

Any new solar photovoltaic (PV) technology must reach low production costs to compete with today’s market- leading crystalline silicon and commercial thin-film PV technologies. Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) could open up new applications by enabling lightweight and flexible PV modules. However, the cost of synthesizing nanocrystals at the large scale needed for PV module production has not previously been investigated. Based on our experience with commercial QD scale-up, we de velop a Monte Carlo model to analyze the cost of synthesizing lead sulfide and metal halide perovskite Q Ds using 8 different reported synthetic methods. We also analyze the cost of solution-phase ligand exchange for p reparing deposition-ready PbS QD inks, as well as the manufacturing cost for roll-to-roll solution-processe d PV modules using these materials. We find that present QD synthesis costs are prohibitively high for PV applications, with median costs of 11 to 59 $ per g for PbS QDs (0.15 to 0.84 $ per W for a 20% efficient cell) and 73 $ per g for CsPbI₃ QDs (0.74 $ per W). QD ink preparation adds 6.3 $ per g (0.09 $ per W). In total, QD materials contribute up to 55% of the total module cost, making even roll-to-roll-processed QDPV modules significantl y more expensive than silicon PV modules. These results suggest that the development of new lo w-cost synthetic methods is critically important for the commercial relevance of QD photovoltaics. Using our cost model, we identify strategies for reducing synthetic cost and propose a cost target of 5 $ per g to move QD solar cells closer to commercial viability, Tata Trusts

International audience; State-of-the-art light emitting diodes (LEDs) are made from high-purity alloys of III-V semiconductors or small molecules, but high fabrication cost and conplicated synthetic process have limited their widespread use for large area solid-state lighting applications. Here we report efficient and stable LEDs processed from solution with tunable color enabled by using phase-pure two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) layered perovskites with a formula (CH3(CH2)3NH3)2(CH3NH3)n-1PbnI3n+1 (n=3-5 in this report). By using controlled vertically oriented of crystal in the thin-films that facilitate efficient charge injection and transport, we obtain efficient electroluminescence with a radiance of 35 W Sr-1 cm-2 at 744 nm with an ultra-low turn-on voltage of 1V. Finally, operational stability tests suggest that phase purity is strongly correlated to stability. Phase-pure 2D perovskites exhibit >14 hours of stable operation at peak operating conditions with no droop at current-densities of several Amperes/cm2 in comparison to mixtures of 2D/3D mixture or 3D perovskites, which degrade within minutes.

Biomolecular monitoring in the gastrointestinal tract could offer rapid, precise disease detection and management but is impeded by access to the remote and complex environment. Here, we present an ingestible micro-bio-electronic device (IMBED) for in situ biomolecular detection based on environmentally resilient biosensor bacteria and miniaturized luminescence readout electronics that wirelessly communicate with an external device. As a proof of concept, we engineer heme-sensitive probiotic biosensors and demonstrate accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding in swine. Additionally, we integrate alternative biosensors to demonstrate modularity and extensibility of the detection platform. IMBEDs enable new opportunities for gastrointestinal biomarker discovery and could transform the management and diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease., Office of Naval Research (Grant N00014-13-1-0424), National Institutes of Health (Grant EB-000244)

Bismuth-based compounds have recently gained increasing attention as potentially nontoxic and defect-tolerant solar absorbers. However, many of the new materials recently investigated show limited photovoltaic performance. Herein, one such compound is explored in detail through theory and experiment: bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI). BiOI thin films are grown by chemical vapor transport and found to maintain the same tetragonal phase in ambient air for at least 197 d. The computations suggest BiOI to be tolerant to antisite and vacancy defects. All-inorganic solar cells (ITO|NiO x |BiOI|ZnO|Al) with negligible hysteresis and up to 80% external quantum efficiency under select monochromatic excitation are demonstrated. The short-circuit current densities and power conversion efficiencies under AM 1.5G illumination are nearly double those of previously reported BiOI solar cells, as well as other bismuth halide and chalcohalide photovoltaics recently explored by many groups. Through a detailed loss analysis using optical characterization, photoemission spectroscopy, and device modeling, direction for future improvements in efficiency is provided. This work demonstrates that BiOI, previously considered to be a poor photocatalyst, is promising for photovoltaics., National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CBET-1605495), United States. Department of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Grant DE-SC0001088), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant DMF-08019762)

Colloidal quantum dot light-emitting devices (QD-LEDs) have generated considerable interest for applications such as thin film displays with improved color saturation and white lighting with a high color rendering index (CRI). We review the key advantages of using quantum dots (QDs) in display and lighting applications, including their color purity, solution processability, and stability. After highlighting the main developments in QD-LED technology in the past 15 years, we describe the three mechanisms for exciting QDs - optical excitation, Fo¨ rster energy transfer, and direct charge injection - that have been leveraged to create QD-LEDs. We outline the challenges facing QDLED development, such as QD charging and QD luminescence quenching in QD thin films. We describe how optical downconversion schemes have enabled researchers to overcome these challenges and develop commercial lighting products that incorporate QDs to achieve desirable color temperature and a high CRI while maintaining efficiencies comparable to inorganic white LEDs (>65 lumens per Watt). We conclude by discussing some current directions in QD research that focus on achieving higher efficiency and air-stable QD-LEDs using electrical excitation of the luminescent QDs. Keywords: nanocrystals; optoelectronics; displays; lighting (Published: 7 July 2010) Citation: Nano Reviews 2010, 1: 5202 - DOI: 10.3402/nano.v1i0.5202

Polyselenophene (PSe) donor layers are successfully integrated into organic photovoltaic devices (OPV) for the first time. Thin, patterned films of this insoluble semiconductor were fabricated using a vacuum-based vapor-printing technique, oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) combined with in-situ shadow masking. The vapor-printed PSe exhibits a reduced optical bandgap of 1.76 eV and enhanced photo-responsivity in the red compared to its sulfur containing analog, polythiophene. These relative advantages are most likely explained by selenium’s enhanced electron-donating character compared to sulfur. The HOMO level of PSe was determined to be at −4.85 eV. The maximum power conversion efficiency achieved was 0.4% using a bilayer heterojunction device architecture with C₆₀ as the donor., United States. Army Research Office (W911NF-13-D-0001)

The significant research interest in the engineering of photovoltaic (PV) structures at the nanoscale is directed toward enabling reductions in PV module fabrication and installation costs as well as improving cell power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the emergence of a multitude of nanostructured photovoltaic (nano-PV) device architectures, the question has arisen of where both the practical and the fundamental limits of performance reside in these new systems. Here, the former is addressed a posteriori. The specific challenges associated with improving the electrical power conversion efficiency of various nano-PV technologies are discussed and several approaches to reduce their thermal losses beyond the single bandgap limit are reviewed. Critical considerations related to the module lifetime and cost that are unique to nano-PV architectures are also addressed. The analysis suggests that a practical single-junction laboratory power conversion efficiency limit of 17% and a two-cell tandem power conversion efficiency limit of 24% are possible for nano-PVs, which, when combined with operating lifetimes of 10 to 15 years, could position them as a transformational technology for solar energy markets., Eni-MIT Alliance Solar Frontiers Program (Eni S.p.A. (Firm)), National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Link Foundation, Hertz Foundation (Fellowship)

We report narrow-band absorption enhancement of semiconductor nanocrystals via Forster resonance energy transfer from cyanine J-aggregates. These J-aggregated dyes associate electrostatically with short quantum-dot (QD) surface ligands in solution. Energy transfer efficiencies approach unity for this light sensitization and result in a 5-fold enhancement in the QD excitation near the J-aggregate absorption maximum. Because a thin layer of J-aggregates attenuates the same amount of light (at peak absorbance) as a far thicker film of monomer dye, these absorption-enhanced materials may have applications in light-sensitizing applications such as photodetection and optical down-conversion.

Organic–inorganic perovskites such as CH3NH3PbI3 are promising materials for a variety of optoelectronic applications, with certified power conversion efficiencies in solar cells already exceeding 21%. Nevertheless, state-of-the-art films still contain performance-limiting non-radiative recombination sites and exhibit a range of complex dynamic phenomena under illumination that remain poorly understood. Here we use a unique combination of confocal photoluminescence (PL) microscopy and chemical imaging to correlate the local changes in photophysics with composition in CH3NH3PbI3 films under illumination. We demonstrate that the photo-induced ‘brightening’ of the perovskite PL can be attributed to an order-of-magnitude reduction in trap state density. By imaging the same regions with time-of-flight secondary-ion-mass spectrometry, we correlate this photobrightening with a net migration of iodine. Our work provides visual evidence for photo-induced halide migration in triiodide perovskites and reveals the complex interplay between charge carrier populations, electronic traps and mobile halides that collectively impact optoelectronic performance., Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (FP7/2007–2013) , under grant agreement 604032, MESO project), Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (People Programme (Marie Curie Actions), FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement number PIOF-GA-2013-622630)), United States. Dept. of Energy (DOE (DE-SC0013957)), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE-1256082)), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (Supergen Supersolar project), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries (contributions to Open Access article processing fees), United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Center for Excitonics, an Energy Frontier Research Center, Award No. DE-SC0001088)