About Me

I am a solar-energy scientist passionate about pushing perovskite and tandem photovoltaics. My doctoral work at IIT Kharagpur focused on solar cell loss-analysis and recycling strategies for perovskite devices, culminating in a Ph.D. in Energy Science (defended December 2024). Earlier stints at IIT Madras (M.Tech., Functional Materials & Nanotechnology, 2019) and Banaras Hindu University (M.Sc. Physics, 2017) equipped me with a strong background in thin-film fabrication, optoelectronic simulation and techno-economic analysis.

My research integrates materials engineering, device physics and circular-economy thinking to deliver high-efficiency, low-impact solar technologies.

Research Snapshot

• Single-Junction Perovskite Solar Cells
  
  

  • Fabricated triple-cation devices exceeding 18.8% efficiency in ambient air and traced open-circuit-voltage losses through interfacial diagnostics.
    
    

  • Performed lifecycle and System Advisor Model (SAM) studies, projecting levelized cost of electricity of 5–7 ¢ kWh⁻¹ for recycled-module scenarios.
    
    

• Tandem Architectures
  
  

  • Modelled recombination pathways in perovskite/Si, perovskite/perovskite and a-Si/c-Si stacks, identifying optical-loss limits via transfer-matrix methods.
    
    

  • Developed wet processing routes for depositing perovskites directly on textured silicon wafers for next-generation tandem integration.
    
    

• Circular Photovoltaics
  
  

  • Co-inventor of an Indian patent enabling recovery and three-time reuse of FTO substrates from end-of-life perovskite modules without efficiency penalty.

Selected Publications

1. “Numerical study on the effect of dual electron transport layer in improving the performance of perovskite–perovskite tandem solar cells,” Advanced Theory and Simulations 6 (3), 2200800 (2023).
   
   

2. “Role of defects in organic–inorganic metal halide perovskite: detection and remediation for solar cell applications,” Emergent Materials 5 (4), 987-1020 (2022).
   
   

3. “Effects of pure and metal-chloride-treated SnO₂ electron transport layer on air-ambient fabricated perovskite solar cells,” Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 36, 973 (2025).
   
   

(Complete list in the Publications section.)

Honours & Awards

• Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF), Govt. of India (2020 – 2024)
  
  

• MRS Lakshmi Ravikumar Memorial Prize & Silver Medal, IIT Madras (2019)
  
  

• CSIR-JRF & Lectureship qualification (2017)
  
  

Teaching & Outreach

I mentor undergraduate and graduate students in photovoltaic device fabrication, lifecycle assessment and STEM communication. As coordinator for Science for Rural India, I have delivered hands-on workshops across Tier-3/4 towns, nurturing curiosity-driven learning1.

Get in Touch

📧 dkumarbeni@gmail.com
📍 India