Research

Energy Materials and devices

Solar Photovoltaics: Organic, Perovskite and Tandem Materials and Solar Cells

In this area, our emphasis is to fabricate solar PV devices based on third generation materials to develop high efficiency and high life time devices. These devices are being made to improve their performance, low temperature processing and to reduce the use of toxic elements such as Lead.

Multiferroics, Ferroelectrics and Piezoelectrics

Here, we are studying the devices and materials based on oxides, such as ferroelectric and/or multiferroic oxides, piezoelectric materials as well as polymers such as P(VDF-TrFE) from the perspective of energy harvesting, piezoelectric activity, data storage applications, to name a few, Our work is related to engineering the material's structure and properties to achieve the desired functionality in stand-alone as well as device form and requires one to delve into understanding of materials, physics and some electrical engineering, particularly for device work.

Energy Harvesting Materials and Devices

In this area, we work on developing energy harvesting materials and devices to exploit piezoelectric and triboelectric energy available in the ambient to developed self powered devices important for several wearable electronics applications.



NetZero, Sustainability and Decarbonization

In this theme, we are investigating the issues related to NetZero and Carbon Neutrality, paradigms for sustainability and working our schemes for decarbonization for various sectors.

Lab Facilities

We have variety of equipments for fabrication and characterization of materials, thin films and devices. A partial list includes

  • Pulsed laser deposition and sputtering system

  • Chemical solution deposition system

  • Glove box enabled solution deposition and evaporation system for metals and organics

  • Impedance analyzer

  • I-V measurements for a variety of materials and solar cells

  • Quantum efficiency measurements for PV devices

  • Solar Simulator

  • Temperature dependent probe station

  • Ferroelectric, piezoelectric and magnetoelectric testing setups

  • Asylum scanning force microscope MFP-3D

  • Various other minor equipments such as electrometer, source meters etc

  • SQUID-VSM (Cryogenic)

  • Profilometer

  • Departmental/Institute facilities: High resolution XRD, Raman, FTIR, FESEM, DSC/TGA, XPS, Mechanical testing, polishing, sample preparation etc

Bulk of our solution processing is carried out in clean room of class 10,000 while devices are made in a class 100 clean room atmosphere or glove box.

Grants/Projects

As Principal Investigator

  • Development of Energy Harvesting Device with Giant Power Density (~10 mW/cm²) using Thin Film Multiferroic Composites, IMPRINT (SERB) (Ongoing)

  • Development of a portable and noncontact type intraocular pressure measurement device, DST (TDB) (with IITD and AIIMS Delhi) (Ongoing)

  • Manipulation of Structure, Composition and Properties of CuO Ceramics and Thin Films to Achieve Near Room Temperature Multiferroism for Device Applications, SERB, DST, P.I. (Ongoing)

  • India-UK SUNRISE Consortium, EPSRC (UK), (P.I.) (Ongoing)

  • NEWTON Prize, British Council (UK), (2018-2019) (Completed)

  • Advancing the performance and efficiencies of Excitonic solar cells, Indo-UK Solar Energy Projects, DST-RCUK, 2015-2017 (Phase II) (PI) (Completed)

  • Investigations into compositionally modulated magnetoelectric gallium ferrite for sensor and transducer applications, Department of Science and Technology, 2013-16 (Completed)

  • Organic Solar Cell development on Steel Substrates, Tata Steel, (2009-2012) (PI of a module)

  • Advancing the performance and efficiencies of Excitonic solar cells, Indo-UK Solar Energy Projects, DST-RCUK, 2010-2013 (Phase I) (Completed)

  • Field Effect Transistor Based on Epitaxial Multicomponent Oxide Heterostructures, Department of Science and Technology, 2007-2010 (Completed)

  • Investigation on the effects of compositional modifications on structure and properties of BiFeO3 thin films for device applications, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, 2008-2011 (Completed)

  • Investigation of Multifunctional Ferroelectric (BiFeO3)x-(PbTiO3)1-x Thin Films for Sensor and Actuator Applications”, Defense Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defense, Government of India, 2006-2009 (Completed)

  • Detailed Investigation into Ferroelectric Nanoceramics and Thin Films of Lanthanide Doped Bismuth Titanate for Device Applications, Ramanna Fellowship (2006-09), Department of Science and Technology (Completed)

  • Development of Novel Multifunctional Multiferroic Materials for Future Sensor and Actuator Technology’ Ministry of Human Resources and Development (India), 2005-2008 (Completed)

  • Investigation of Aurivillius Phase Bi-Layered Oxides: Ferroelectric Ceramics and Thin Films for Non-volatile Ferroelectric Memory Applications, Department of Science and Technology, 2003-2006 (Completed)