GIFT Hao Chen Team Publishes Groundbreaking Review in Advanced Energy Materials: All-Perovskite Multi-Junction Solar Cells: The Rising Star of Ultrahigh-Efficiency Photovoltaics

Global Institute of Future Technology, SJTU has made significant strides in photovoltaic research with the publication of the latest review titled "All-Perovskite Multi-Junction Solar Cells: The Rising Star of Ultrahigh-Efficiency Photovoltaics" in the prestigious journal Advanced Energy Materials. The work was led by Associate Professor Hao Chen and Professor Yixin Zhao from the Future Photovoltaics Research Center, in collaboration with Researcher Zaiwei Wang from Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Research assistant Dongxu Ren, 2025 Ph.D. student Xinyu Gu and postdoctoral researcher Xiang Zhang served as co-first authors. The study received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Startup Fund, and the Shanghai Pujiang Program.

All-Perovskite Multi-Junction Solar Cells employ bandgap-complementary light-absorbing materials in stacked configurations to enhance photon utilization through spectral segmentation, potentially surpassing the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit of traditional single-junction cells with a theoretical efficiency exceeding 45%. However, this technology remains nascent: Sn²⁺oxidation to Sn⁴⁺in narrow-bandgap perovskites accelerates non-radiative recombination. In addition, crystallization suffers from phase separation and pinhole defects. Last but not least, wide-bandgap perovskites exhibit significant open-circuit voltage losses (>0.5 V) due to halide segregation and interfacial energy-level mismatches. These inherent challenges have resulted in certified efficiencies far below theoretical predictions, and calls for systematic analysis.

The review examines recent advances, identifies the causes of efficiency losses in multi-junction stacked perovskite devices and proposes optimization strategies in three core dimensions: light-absorbing materials, charge transport layers and interconnection layers. Furthermore, it outlines future research directions-including flexible architecture design, novel narrow-bandgap perovskite development and large-scale fabrication-providing both theoretical guidance and technical pathways to break through efficiency limitations.

Author Profiles

Dongxu Ren

Research Assistant of Hao Chen's research group at GIFT. Ren earned his M.S. in Materials and Chemical Engineering from North China Electric Power University in 2023, and worked at Aiko Solar Technology Co., Ltd.‌ in 2024. Research areas: low-dimensional perovskite solar cells and single-/multi-junction tandem devices.

Xinyu Gu

Ph.D. student (enrolling September 2025) in Hao Chen's research group. Gu received a B.S. in New Energy Materials and Devices from North China Electric Power University in 2025. Research areas: perovskite materials for single/tandem photovoltaics.

Xiang Zhang

Postdoctoral researcher at the Future Photovoltaics Research Center (advisor: Hao Chen). Ph.D. from the Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, postdoctoral researcher at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and SJTU. Zhang has published 20+ papers in Adv. Mater., Adv. Energy Mater., and Adv. Funct. Mater., and holds 2 national patents. Research areas: wide-bandgap perovskites for tandem applications.

Yixin Zhao

Chair Professor and Director of the Future Photovoltaics Research Center of GIFT. Prof. Zhao earned his B.S./M.S. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2002/2005), and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University (2010), with postdoctoral experience at Penn State University and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Honors include the National Young Talents Program, the Huo Yingdong Young Faculty Fund, Shanghai Dawn Scholar Program, Shanghai Outstanding Young Academic Leader Program, and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Published 200+ papers in top journals Science, Nat. Sustain, Sci. Adv., Nat. Commun., JACS, Angew. Chem., Chem. Soc. Rev., Joule, EES, ES&T, with 18,000+ citations. Serves as Associate Editor for Journal of Energy Chemistry and editorial board member for The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letter.

Hao Chen

Tenure-track Associate Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor of GIFT. Prof. Chen earned his Ph.D. from ShanghaiTech University-University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Joint Program (advisor: Zhijun Ning)in 2020, with postdoctoral experience at University of Toronto and Northwestern University (Advisor: Academician Edward H. Sargent). Selected for National Natural Science Foundation of China Outstanding Youth Science Fund (Overseas) and Shanghai Magnolia Young Talent Award in 2024. Chen holds multiple world-record certified efficiencies for perovskite photovoltaics, and has published as first author and corresponding author in Science (3), Nature (3), and Nat. Photonics, Nat. Mater., Nat. Energy, Nat. Nanotechnol. Serve as youth editorial board member for Nano-Micro Letters, InfoMat, eScience and Materials Today Electronics, and reviewer for Nat. Energy, Nat. Rev. Mater., JACS. Research areas: Development and application of stable, efficient Perovskite Photovoltaic Materials and Devices.