Research
Prof. Gao’s group dedicates its efforts to energy devices, with the ambition to both improve device performance and understand the underlying fundamentals. Their current investigations include organic semiconductors and metal halide perovskites, with research focuses such as:
- Fullerene-free organic solar cells (see our work in on low voltage losses of organic solar cells in Nature Energy and Nature Materials, indoor applications of organic solar cells in Nature Energy, and Review on non-fullerene organic solar cells in Nature Materials)
- Perovskite solar cells (see our work on stable perovskite solar cells in Nature)
- Perovskite LEDs (see our work on perovskite LEDs in Nature Photonics and their applications in Nature Electronics)
- Lead-free perovskites (see our Review on lead-free perovskites in Advanced Materials)
- See the full list of publications in Google Scholar
Organic semiconductors
Organic semiconductors have a large potential in low-cost and large-area device applications, benefiting from cheap manufacturing processes such as solution-based roll-to-roll printing.
All device applications previously dominated by inorganic semiconductors have presented opportunities for their organic counterparts. Such applications include solar cells, LEDs, field-effect transistors, lasers, and memory devices.
Metal halide perovskites
Metal halide perovskites have emerged as one of the most popular semiconducting materials since 2009. They have shown unique properties, including:
- Tunable bandgap
- High absorption coefficient
- Broad absorption spectrum
- High charge carrier mobility
- Long charge diffusion lengths
These properties enable metal halide perovskites to be used in a broad range of photovoltaic and other optoelectronic applications.
Solar cells
Although the current solar cell market is dominated by silicon-based devices, the recent emergence of solution-processed solar cells based on organic semiconductors and metal halide perovskites has shown great potential for commercial applications. For example, the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells has soared from a few percent to over 25% within the past few years. Such a quick development has never before happened in the history of photovoltaics.
LEDs
LEDs, which emit light by a solid-state process called electroluminescence, are considered the most promising energy-efficient technologies for future lighting and displays. Metal halide perovskites demonstrate strong photoluminescence and tunable emission energy, making them a promising candidate for the next generation of highly efficient LEDs.
Funding
Prof. Gao's research group is mainly supported by the following funding agencies:
- European Research Council
- VR
- Swedish Strategic Research Foundation - SSF
- The Wallenberg Foundations
- Swedish Energy Agency - Energimyndigheten
- FORMAS
- Vinnova
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Group and Supervision
Prof. Feng Gao is deeply involved in both the scientific and career development of his group members. The senior researchers in his group have been awarded the prestigious VR Staring Grant, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, VINNMER Fellowship. He also values the exchange of ideas: he has sponsored members of his group in exchanges to Cambridge, Oxford and EPFL, and his group has hosted visiting students and scholars from Cambridge, Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, Nanjing Tech University, Shenzhen University, Queen Mary University of London, and more.
