Research Interests

The Feng Yan Lab research interests focus on the electronics/photonics materials and devices. The interaction among electron, photon, spin and lattices provide unique techniques to harvest, convert and store the renewable energy. Better understanding of the materials microstructure and properties creates the pathways to further improve the devices performance. With the emerging of new materials with desired physical and chemical properties, a series of new architecture device can be achieved. With tuning the materials structure, interfaces quality, and defects level, next-generation devices with higher efficiency and lower cost are achievable. To realize sustainable energy future, new materials and devices with optimized properties are desired. Detailed research interests includes:

Thin Film Solar Cells and Photoelectrochemical Cells

Chalcognide thin film solar cell, i.e., CdTe, Sb2Se3, CuZnSnSe, CuSbSe2, CuBiS
Chalcognide thin film PEC cells
Ferroelectric photovoltaics
Perovskite solar cell (Inorganic-organic hybrid solar cell)
Tandem solar cells (multi-junction solar cells)
Picture
Sb2Se3 Thin Film Solar Cells

Scanning Probe Microscopy for Functional Materials and Metallic Materials

  • Atomic Force Microscopy, Electrostatic Force Microscopy, Conductive AFM, Kelvin Probe Microscopy, 
  • Ferroelectric Materials, Photovoltaics Materials
  • Metallic glass and High Entropy Alloys thin film

New Materials Development

New Materials Computational Design, i.e., new absorber for solar cells
New Materials Synthesis and Engineering 
Materials Structure and Properties Characterization

Transparent conductor

p-type transparent conducting oxides
Novel transparent conductor

Multifunctional Materials System

Multiferroelectrics
Ferroelectric Photovoltaics
​Metal-Insulator transition