Dr. Martin Ledinsky Visited Our Group and Delivered an Invited Talk on “Universal Formation Mechanism of Halide Perovskite Thin Films

April 24, 2026

We were honored to host Dr. Martin Ledinsky from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences as the 13th speaker of our Solar Energy Seminar Series (SES Series). This session was organized in special collaboration with the CeNS Colloquium and the LMU Faculty of Physics .

The seminar was co-hosted by Dr. Esma Ugur and Dr. Erkan Aydin , bringing together experts to discuss the cutting edge of photovoltaic materials.

Universal Formation Mechanism of Halide Perovskite Thin Films

Dr. Ledinsky shared insightful research into Metal Halide Perovskites (MHPs), materials that have revolutionized the field of solar energy due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties. While various methods exist for creating these films—ranging from laboratory solution processing to industry-standard vacuum deposition—Dr. Ledinsky’s work highlights a universal formation mechanism that governs them all.

Key Takeaways from the Talk:

• Three-Stage Growth: Using in-situ photoluminescence (PL) and GIWAXS measurements, the research identifies three distinct stages of film growth
• The Mystery of Grain Boundaries: The initial stage involves the fast growth of high-quality, low-defect grains. However, as these grains connect in the second stage, defects concentrate at the newly formed grain boundaries, leading to a significant quenching of the PL signal.
• Universal Patterns: Interestingly, this "growth-then-quench" pattern is observed across various deposition methods, including solution processing, evaporation, and even "pizza oven" deposition.
• Path to Better Solar Cells: Understanding these stages allows researchers to focus on two critical areas for improvement: the formation of larger grains and the effective passivation of grain boundaries to enhance optoelectronic quality.

We thank Dr. Ledinsky for a fascinating deep dive into the microscopic life of perovskite films and for showing us how in-situ characterization can guide the next generation of solar cell efficiency

Scenes from Prof. Ledinsky's talk.

From the lab tour

Chilling out after the talk on our campus.