Metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising semiconductor materials due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties, high power conversion efficiencies, and compatibility with low-cost solution coating processes. Their potential applications extend beyond terrestrial photovoltaics to include space power systems, radiation detectors, and radiovoltaic energy conversion, where prolonged exposure to ionising radiation, especially from heavy particles such as solar and cosmic ray protons, is unavoidable. Therefore, understanding the structural and optoelectronic stability of perovskite devices under irradiation is critical for their deployment in these demanding environments.
This presentation investigates the radiation resilience of perovskite solar cells subjected to controlled proton irradiation using the 6 MV Sirius Accelerator at the Centre for Accelerator Science, ANSTO. Radiation exposures were designed to simulate extended operational environments relevant to space applications. To understand the effects of irradiation on the semiconductor materials, a variety of characterisation techniques were employed, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine morphological changes, X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate crystallographic stability, and voltage-dependent photoluminescence imaging to assess charge-carrier behaviour and spatial variations in device performance.
The exposed devices demonstrated excellent resilience, maintaining functional performance after cumulative proton irradiation equivalent to approximately five years of operation under the simulated radiation environment. By correlating structural, morphological, and optoelectronic characterisation with photovoltaic performance, insights into the mechanisms governing radiation tolerance in metal halide perovskites can be gained. The presentation will discuss how complementary diffraction, microscopy, and optical characterisation techniques can be used to evaluate radiation-induced degradation and inform the development of robust perovskite semiconductors for future space applications, radiation detection, and radiovoltaic energy conversion.