Perovskite solar cells show good tolerance to proton radiation in the space environment, potentially even superior to silicon or III–V semiconductor photovoltaics currently used in space applications. Prior studies show that the energy of the protons determines how they interact with the perovskite layer: for instance, high-energy protons were reported to reduce defects in the material. The underlying mechanism and implications for devices are, however, not fully elucidated yet. Now, Ahmad Kirmani, Joseph Luther and colleagues across the USA develop a dual dose irradiation experiment to distinguish between the effects of low- and high-energy protons on the degradation and damage recovery of perovskite solar cells.

The solar cells are first exposed to low-energy proton irradiation: this creates atomic displacements through an elastic non-ionizing energy loss interaction, increasing charge recombination and leading to a degradation of the device performance. However, when irradiated with a high-energy proton flux, the researchers observe a recovery of the performance. They show that the electronic ionization (or inelastic scattering) of high-energy protons causes local heating of the perovskite lattice, which acts as a driving force for the displaced atoms to return to their original positions. The self-healing mechanism leads to the perceived proton radiation tolerance.

钙钛矿太阳能电池在太空环境中表现出良好的质子辐射耐受性，甚至可能优于目前太空应用中使用的硅或 III-V 半导体光伏电池。先前的研究表明，质子的能量决定了它们如何与钙钛矿层相互作用：例如，据报道，高能质子可以减少材料中的缺陷。然而，潜在的机制和对设备的影响尚未完全阐明。现在，Ahmad Kirmani、Joseph Luther 和美国各地的同事开发了一种双剂量辐照实验，以区分低能和高能质子对钙钛矿太阳能电池的降解和损伤恢复的影响。

太阳能电池首先暴露于低能质子辐照：这通过弹性非电离能量损失相互作用产生原子位移，增加电荷复合并导致设备性能下降。然而，当受到高能质子通量照射时，研究人员观察到性能有所恢复。他们表明，高能质子的电子电离（或非弹性散射）会引起钙钛矿晶格的局部加热，从而成为移位的原子返回其原始位置的驱动力。自愈机制导致感知质子辐射耐受性。