In Situ Evaluation of Perovskite Solar Cells after 8 MeV Proton Irradiation at Low Temperatures

Organohalide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are lightweight and cost-effective and exhibit high power conversion efficiencies. Previous proton and electron radiation tests performed at room temperature demonstrated that PSCs possess superior radiation resistance characteristics compared to silicon (Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, rendering them attractive for use in space applications. In this study, PSCs were irradiated with 8 MeV protons under low-temperature conditions representative of the space environment, and their power-generation characteristics were evaluated as a function of time immediately after irradiation. Unlike the samples irradiated at 293 K, those irradiated at 260 and 208 K exhibited significantly reduced short-circuit currents ( I sc ), which was attributed to defect generation in the perovskite crystal. It was also observed that the lower I sc observed at low temperatures recovered its initial value upon returning to room temperature, suggesting that PSCs exposed to temperature cycling in orbit are less susceptible to I sc degradation.