PhD scholarship in Sustainable Indoor Solar Cells for Ambient Light Energy Harvesting in IoT Applications - DTU Electro

Are you interested in developing thin-film solar cells designed to operate efficiently under indoor lighting and thereby contributing to the green transition? At DTU Electro, you will have the opportunity to break new ground by harvesting energy from ambient light and help pave the way towards sustainable technologies. The Thin-Film Photovoltaics Group at DTU Electro is seeking candidates for a PhD Scholarship focused on the development and characterization of highly efficient Sb₂S₃ solar cells. You will investigate materials, interfaces, and device architectures to understand and overcome the fundamental limitations of photovoltaic performance under low-light conditions. The position is offered within the framework of DTU’s Alliances and Strategic Partnerships with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Estonia. You will be part of an international research collaboration combining thin-film synthesis, solar-cell fabrication, advanced optoelectronic and defect characterization, and device testing under realistic illumination conditions. As part of the PhD project, you will undertake a research stay at TalTech and work closely with researchers from both universities.Responsibilities and qualifications The PhD project focuses on developing high-efficiency Sb₂S₃ thin-film solar cells for indoor energy harvesting. The project will investigate how material properties, interfaces, and device architecture influence charge transport, recombination, and voltage losses under low-intensity illumination. The overall objective is to develop solar cells optimized for indoor light and demonstrate series-connected mini-modules capable of powering battery-free IoT devices. Your primary responsibilities include:

• Develop and optimize Sb₂S₃ thin-film solar cells by engineering device architectures and interfaces to enhance charge collection while minimizing recombination and voltage losses under indoor illumination.
• Characterize solar cells under different LED spectra, light intensities, and illumination conditions relevant to realistic indoor environments.
• Investigate defect states, interface recombination, and open-circuit voltage losses, including advanced electrical characterization during a research stay at TalTech.
• Develop and characterize series-connected indoor photovoltaic mini-modules for battery-free IoT applications.
• Supervise and contribute to MSc/BSc student projects.
• Document and disseminate the research through scientific publications and international conference contributions

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale