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As humanity sends more satellites into orbit, researchers are looking for ways to make the solar power systems that power them lighter, more durable and better able to withstand the extreme conditions of space. At the University of North Texas, physicists have developed a new way to test next-generation solar cells to help make that possible.

Led by physics professor Dr. Bibhudutta Rout, a multidisciplinary research team has developed a radiation testing platform that allows researchers to observe electronic devices as they are exposed to conditions that mimic the environment in space.

“Our real-time testing provides detailed performance data for devices, complementing actual space missions and reducing both project costs and timelines,” Dr. Rout said.

The research builds on more than two decades of work by Dr. Rout and his collaborators studying how energetic ions interact with materials at the atomic level.

That expertise helped the team develop a specialized beamline at the university’s Ion Beam Laboratory that allows researchers to expose devices to multiple conditions at a single experimental station, including radiation, vacuum, heat and illumination.

The team’s latest work focuses on next-generation solar cells made from metal-halide perovskite, a class of materials that can produce electricity efficiently while being lightweight. Researchers exposed the solar cells to proton beams designed to simulate radiation environments in space and monitored the devices during exposure.

They found that radiation initially caused the solar cells’ performance to drop significantly, but the cells recovered a substantial portion of that performance within minutes. The findings suggest that perovskite solar cells may be more resistant to radiation damage than conventional testing methods have indicated.

“These results could have significant implications for the design of solar power systems on satellites intended to operate for longer durations,” Dr. Rout said.

The research also provides hands-on training for students. Dr. Mohin Sharma (’26 Ph.D.) led research into how energetic ions interact with materials and developed the platform’s real-time electrical measurement capabilities as part of his doctoral dissertation.

“Mohin Sharma has developed the equipment and performed groundbreaking research toward the development of next-generation space solar cells,” Dr. Rout said.

Through his work on the project, Dr. Sharma gained experience with advanced scientific instrumentation, radiation testing and semiconductor technologies. He and other former members of Dr. Rout’s lab have gone on to careers in the semiconductor industry.

The project also brings together students and faculty from the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Dayton along with researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Portions of the research are supported by the U.S. Space Force's Space Strategic Technology Institute-3 program.

The collaborators contribute different parts of the research. Some fabricate and supply solar-cell devices for testing, while others analyze the devices before and after radiation exposure. Researchers from other universities also send their devices to UNT for testing in the Ion Beam Laboratory.

The approach also can reduce the need to transport samples between facilities and use multiple samples for different stages of testing.

As demand for satellites and other space-based technologies grows, more durable and efficient power systems will become increasingly important. Rout and his team are helping researchers better understand the durability of next-generation solar cells — an important step toward developing lighter, more reliable power systems for the future of space exploration.

Via UNT News