Calculating the Electronic Stopping Power of Perovskites

Radiation-hard photovoltaic materials are needed to make satellites for deep space powered by solar cells that run effectively while being hit with radiation. We study FAPbI_3 perovskites, which are among the higher-performing materials for solar cells to date. One aspect of curiosity is the electronic stopping power. The electronic stopping power of these perovskites describes the energy transfer rate to electrons in the material during ion irradiation. We calculate in triple-cation perovskites (formamidinium, methylammonium, and cesium) with the inclusion of several intrinsic defects using the SRIM software (Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter), and  time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methodologies. From simulations, we estimate the effects of defects on the stopping process of ions in these systems and their implications in the development of photovoltaic devices for space missions.