World's most powerful X-ray laser spots atomic shifts in solar cells

Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/19/2025
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Read original articleScientists at the European XFEL research facility have, for the first time, directly observed atomic-scale deformations inside solar cell materials using the world’s most powerful X-ray laser. Led by Johan Bielecki, PhD, the team captured how electron-hole pairs—created when light excites electrons in a solar cell—cause subtle distortions in the atomic lattice of the material. These tiny deformations, previously undetectable, were visualized using femtosecond-scale X-ray pulses, revealing ultrafast interactions between electron-hole pairs and the crystal lattice. The study focused on quantum dots made of cesium, lead, and bromine (CsPbBr3), where these distortions form a state known as an exciton-polaron.
The findings are significant because even minimal lattice deformations critically influence the optical and electronic properties of materials used in solar cells, displays, sensors, and potentially quantum computing components. Zhou Shen, PhD, the study’s lead author, emphasized that understanding these
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energysolar-cellsmaterials-scienceX-ray-laserquantum-dotsoptoelectronicsatomic-lattice-deformation