A team of scientists and industry experts investigated the challenges of developing new solar cells, including copper indium gallium diselenide and perovskite. They recommend focusing on material resilience, stability, and sustainability to ensure long-term success.
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ChargeFabrica, a Python-based simulation framework, models mesoporous perovskite solar cells in two dimensions to predict performance and understand charge transport mechanisms. The tool replicates experimental trends and enables optimized device design, paving the way for enhanced stability.
The new vapour-deposition method delivers unprecedented durability in perovskite–silicon tandem solar cells, achieving over 30% power-conversion efficiency and operating stability exceeding 2,000 hours. This breakthrough paves the way for real-world deployment of tandem solar modules.
Researchers at Jeonbuk National University have developed a new interface engineering strategy for back-contact solar cells, which can improve efficiency and stability. The team created a bilayer tin oxide electron transport layer that enhances interfacial contact and reduces recombination losses.
Researchers at Chonnam National University have developed a new approach to thin-film solar cells using a nanometric germanium oxide layer, resulting in improved performance and device stability. The innovative design boosts power conversion efficiency by up to 4.81%.
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Researchers at NUS developed a new heat-resistant material to strengthen the weakest link in perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells. The cross-linked molecular layer improved durability and efficiency over 1,200 hours of continuous operation.
Scientists have achieved control over the atomic structure of perovskites, creating a finely tuned energy sandwich that could transform how solar cells, LEDs, and lasers are made. The new method enables precise control over the thickness of films and interaction between layers, paving the way for scalable and high-performance devices.
Researchers at PolyU developed an innovative parameter to evaluate photoactive materials for ST-OPVs, advancing high-performance devices with low-cost production and environmental sustainability. Record light utilisation efficiency of 6.05% was achieved in semi-transparent solar cells.
Researchers developed a method to control crystal growth and orientation, leading to higher efficiency (25.85%) and improved stability under humid and thermal conditions. The in-situ reaction promotes directional growth, larger crystal sizes, and suppressed defect states.
Researchers developed a novel MoOX/Ag/MoOX sandwich-structured buffer layer to improve semi-transparent CsPbI₃-based perovskite solar cells and four-terminal tandem solar cells. The MAM buffer layer enhances light transmittance and charge carrier transport, achieving high efficiencies of up to 26.55% in 4-T tandem minimodules.
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A team of researchers developed a new manufacturing process using bio-based solvents to reduce the production cost of perovskite solar cells by half and decrease climate impact by over 80%. AI-based reverse engineering technology was used to identify optimal conditions for efficiency and sustainability.
Researchers identify how thermal stress affects the stability of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, revealing critical insights into their degradation mechanism. The study maps out key failure pathways, offering a clearer understanding of how to enhance long-term stability.
Researchers created phase diagrams for organic solar cells and found that mixing behavior depends on temperature, requiring additional parameters for accurate prediction. The work could accelerate the development of improved materials for high-efficiency solar cells.
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Researchers achieved excellent passivation of perovskite top cells on textured silicon surfaces, leading to improved efficiency and conductivity. The breakthrough enhances understanding of processes occurring in top cells and paves the way for further innovation in tandem solar cell development.
Professor Kanatzidis has been awarded the 2025 Albert Einstein World Award of Science for his groundbreaking contributions to shaping the field of solar photovoltaic materials. His work has led to the development of high-performance, low-cost, and durable photovoltaic semiconductors.
Scientists at NUS demonstrate a perovskite-organic tandem solar cell with a certified world-record power conversion efficiency of 26.4%. The breakthrough is driven by a newly designed organic absorber that enhances near-infrared photon harvesting.
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Researchers at Kyoto University have created a new artificial heterostructure device that mimics broken spatial and time-reversal symmetry, enabling new bulk photovoltaic effects. The device shows promise for next-generation solar cells with improved efficiency and multifunctionality.
Researchers found that indene-C60 diadduct (ICBA) suppresses charge recombination and improves open-circuit voltage in tin-based perovskite solar cells. This enhancement is attributed to the effective suppression of band bending at the interface between the tin-based perovskite and the electron transport layer.
Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology developed bifacial perovskite solar cells with a novel NiO/Ag/NiO transparent electrode, achieving high efficiency, durability, and infrared transparency. The cells demonstrated impressive power conversion efficiencies and high bifaciality factors.
Tin-based perovskite solar cells improve efficiency and durability when large organic cations form a two-dimensional structure, creating an energy barrier that suppresses electron backflow. This structure enhances device performance under sunlight irradiation.
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Researchers designed a self-assembled material to address energy level mismatches and degradation at Sn-Pb perovskite interfaces, resulting in high-efficiency devices with enhanced stability. The strategy achieved a PCE of 23.45% and improved shelf storage stability.
Researchers at KAIST introduced a new hybrid device structure with organic photo-semiconductors that expand the absorption range to near-infrared, improving power conversion efficiency. The device achieved a high internal quantum efficiency of 78% in the near-infrared region and improved stability for over 1,200 hours.
A new hole-transport material facilitates charge transfer and demonstrates high charge mobility in perovskite solar cells. However, the devices show reduced current due to an energetic barrier at the perovskite/HND-2NOMe interface, hindering performance.
Researchers developed a coating technique that increases the efficiency of monolithic tandem cells made of silicon and perovskite, while maintaining long-term stability. The coating uses thiophenethylammonium compound to smooth out surface defects, resulting in a high efficiency rate of nearly 31%.
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A research team at HKUST discovered surface concavities on individual crystal grains of perovskite thin films, affecting film properties and reliability. They pioneered a new method to remove these concavities, resulting in improved efficiency retention under various tests.
Researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough in synthesizing formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite solar cells into ultrastable, high-quality photovoltaic films. The overall efficiency of the resulting FAPbI3 solar cells decreased by less than 3% over 1,000 hours of operation.
A team at TU Graz has developed a parabolic trough collector with cost-effective photovoltaic cells that generate both solar power and thermal energy. The innovation uses industrial production methods and optimises cooling to increase usability of waste heat.
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Scientists have developed a new technique to create stable and efficient perovskite solar cells, which can absorb visible light and convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently. The devices achieved a high efficiency of 21.59% and excellent stability, making them promising for large-scale energy production.
Researchers from City University of Hong Kong and NREL developed a one-step solution-coating approach to simplify PSC manufacturing, resulting in high efficiency and stability. The new method reduces process complexity and cost, bringing PSCs closer to commercialization.
Researchers at Kyoto University have successfully created silicon-based photovoltaics at room temperature using a hybrid PEDOT:PSS/silicon heterojunction. This breakthrough technology offers improved production speed and cost, with power generation efficiency above 10%. The new process has the potential to facilitate large-scale diffus...
Researchers developed a technique that introduces a phosphonic acid-functionalized fullerene derivative and a redox-active radical polymer to strengthen the perovskite crystal structure and increase conductivity. This approach improved the stability of perovskite solar cells, achieving efficiencies comparable to traditional solar cells.
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Researchers from City University of Hong Kong developed a novel device-engineering strategy to suppress energy conversion loss in organic photovoltaics, achieving PCE over 19%. The discovery enables OPVs to maximize photocurrent and overcome the limit of maximum achievable efficiency.
Scientists at KAUST have successfully created a semiconductor material with multiple exciton generation, resulting in a photocurrent quantum efficiency of over 100%. This breakthrough could lead to improved solar cells and light-harvesting applications.
A team of researchers at Osaka University measured the photovoltaic properties of antimony sulfiodide:sulfide devices and discovered a novel effect. They found that changing the color of incident light from visible to ultraviolet induced a reversible change in output voltage, while leaving current unchanged.
Researchers have created a new solvothermal method to produce single-crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles that can enhance the scalability of perovskite solar cells. The resulting cells demonstrated improved power-conversion efficiency and operational stability, with values reaching up to 24.05% and 84.7% fill factor.
Researchers at Politecnico di Milano developed a new approach using additives that form halogen bonds with halide ions in perovskites, improving stability and efficiency. This technique enables the creation of hydrophobic and water-repellent perovskites, blocking trap states and increasing electrical energy conversion.
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Researchers developed a new process to produce stable formamidinium perovskite (FAPbI3) materials, which can be used to make more efficient and stable solar cells. The novel approach uses lower temperatures and eliminates additives, making it suitable for large-scale production and flexible solar cell applications.
Scientists from OIST and University of Cambridge discovered distinct types of defects in state-of-the-art perovskite thin films, which may hinder solar cell efficiency. The most detrimental defects were grain boundaries and polytypes, while lead iodide defects had a benign impact on performance.
Researchers investigated methylammonium lead iodide's ferroelectric nature and photovoltaic properties, finding a freezing temperature of 270 K and a novel phase diagram. The study advances perovskite's potential for energy conversion and storage applications.
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Researchers at HZB developed a method to quantify charge extraction at buried interfaces in perovskite solar cells. Time-resolved surface photovoltage technique facilitates design of ideal charge-selective contacts and improves efficiency.
Researchers have identified the structural changes and metallization caused by external pressure in hybrid Perovskite solar cells. The study provides a theoretical explanation for phase transition and metallization, paving the way for high-performance solar cell materials that can withstand extreme environments.
Researchers have developed a novel technology to maximize the performance of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells. The new hybrid tandem photovoltaic devices feature CQDs and organic bulk heterojunction photoactive materials, improving photon harvesting and achieving high power conversion efficiency.
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Scientists have developed a technique to sequester lead in perovskite solar cells, minimizing potential toxic leakage by applying lead-absorbing films to the front and back of the solar cell. The new approach has been shown to capture 96% of lead leakage under severe damage conditions.
Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, used in optoelectronic devices, have improved efficiency after solution-treating with benzylamine. The treatment creates a two-dimensional material that restructures the material and reduces defect states.
Researchers used a boron nitride separation layer to grow InGaN solar cells, which were then lifted off their substrate and placed onto glass for improved light absorption. The new technique could boost solar cell efficiency up to 30 percent.
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A team of researchers has discovered that ions in hybrid perovskite crystals migrate and create regions with reduced efficiency, degrading the material's performance. Limiting this ion migration could lead to improved high-efficiency solar cells with low costs.
Researchers at UNIST have achieved a new world record efficiency performance of 22.1% in small cells and 19.7 percent in 1-square-centimeter cells using perovskite solar cells. The breakthrough is made possible by careful control of growth conditions to fix defects that reduce photoelectric efficiency.
Scientists have developed an ultra-stable perovskite solar cell with a constant efficiency of 11.2% for more than 10,000 hours, resolving stability issues and paving the way for commercialization. The 2D/3D hybrid perovskite design efficiently absorbs light across the visible spectrum and transports electrical charges.
Scientists have developed a hybrid solar-energy system that harnesses the full spectrum of sunlight by pairing a photovoltaic cell with polymer films. The system produces a voltage over 20% higher than other hybrid systems and can operate an LED lamp and electrochromic display.
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A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that a conductive polymer mixture PEDOT:PSS behaves like a p-type semiconductor when combined with n-type silicon, leading to improved power conversion efficiency. This finding suggests new ways for optimizing devices and could point the way toward future advancements in hybrid solar cells.
Researchers at the University of Utah have uncovered the secrets behind hybrid perovskite solar cell performance, enabling rapid testing using magnetic fields. The study confirms a new mechanism that explains the material's high efficiency, shedding light on its behavior and potential for optimization.
High-resolution 3D images of polymer solar cells reveal new insights into their nanoscale structure and effect on performance. Researchers shed light on operational principles, highlighting potential for cost-effective, flexible, and lightweight technology.
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