New insights lead to better next-gen solar cells

For Michael Saliba and Mahdi Malekshahi, it was one of those moments in science when good experimental results raised more questions. The University of Stuttgart researchers recently developed a new process to make solar cells with perovskites—advanced crystalline materials with the potential to revolutionize solar technology. Their cells were very efficient and stable, but there was one catch: they did not have a detailed understanding of why this process worked so well.